Know your soil / Win a leaf blower

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Every week Thursday 6 December, 2012 Down to earth With the veg plot relatively empty, now's a good time to improve the soil and test it so you know which plants will grow best. Also, get festive with our daily Advent Calendar prize draw. Daniel Haynes Editor, gardenersworld.com What to do now... Keep on top of garden and greenhouse jobs with the help of our weekly checklists. Flowers checklist     Fill empty containers with winter heathers and trailing ivy   Plant lily-of-the-valley   Spread compost over flower beds See all flower jobs for this week Greenhouse checklist   Water azaleas regularly with rainwater   Bring potted strawberries under cover to encourage earlier fruiting   Bring pots of hyacinths indoors to flower See all greenhouse jobs for this week Fruit & veg checklist   Net crops to protect them from pigeons   Earmark your best Brussels sprouts for the Christmas table and protect if necessary   Prune large fruit trees to control their size See all fruit & veg jobs for this week Editor's picks How to test your soil pH Use a simple pH test kit to find out if you have acid or alkaline soil, so you can choose suitable plants. Read more How to make compost Make your own soil improver by following our easy guide to making successful compost. Watch video How to improve your soil Get better crops next year by digging plenty of organic matter into your soil to boost its structure. Read more On the forum Got a wildlife question? Then go to the 'wildlife gardening' section of our forum and post your query, photos or observations. Start a thread Plant apple trees now 'Egremont Russet' - sweet, nutty flavour 'James Grieve' - large, early maturing fruits 'Lord Lambourne' - crisp and juicy apples 'Pixie' - heavy crop of small, sweet fruits 'Spartan' - abundant, ruby-red apples Look after wildlife How to make fat cakes for birds How to make a bug box How to install a window bird feeder How to make a hedgehog house How to make a bird box Gardeners' World blog Garden foxes The foxes have been busy in my garden again and they leave tell-tale signs. Today I find they've been raiding the food store. Read Richard Jones's blog Also this week... Find out your soil type Get hands-on with your soil to discover if it's light or heavy, then learn about its pros and cons. Read more Snow, rain or shine? What does the weather have in store for you? Check out your local 7-day gardeners' forecast. View forecast Increase humidity for house plants Don't let your heating damage your house plants - follow our steps to keep them from drying out. Read more On the forum All I want for Christmas... What's on your gardening wish-list this Christmas - a duck pond, lilac wheelbarrow or greener fingers? Share your suggestions Great value hydrangea Buy two, get one free This beautiful mop-head Hydrangea 'Ayesha' produces pink flowers on alkaline soils, and blue flowers on acid soils. Ideal in pots or borders, it likes light shade. Buy one in a 9cm pot for £11.99, or three for £23.98. Order now Gardeners' World Magazine December issue out now Make festive container displays, enjoy your free 2013 calendar, learn how to tackle winter pruning, and claim your three free peonies. Find out more 5 issues for £5 Enjoy five issues of Gardeners' World Magazine for only £5. Then you can continue your subscription for just £19.38 every six issues by direct debit. Find out more Win gardening prizes Win a leaf blower worth £119 Sign in or register to enter our competition to win one of three Toro Ultra Blowers, worth £119 each. Enter now Win a garden furniture set Make sure you're in with a chance to win a four-seat garden furniture set, worth £399. Enter now Keep up to date with all the latest from gardenersworld.com by following us on Facebook and Twitter.

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