There are dozens of different carrot varieties, usually described as early or maincrop varieties, but also described as either short-root or long-root varieties. These names indicate when they crop and also give you an idea of the type of soil that they are suitable for. Carrots grow best in light, sandy soil. If your soil is heavy clay, stony, chalky or doesn’t drain particularly well, you should concentrate on the maincrop, short-root types as they will cope better with these conditions.
Early carrot varieties take around 12 weeks to mature and maincrop carrot varieties are ready in around 16 weeks. Maincrops take up the most space in the garden, but they tend to be the best varieties to grow if you want some for storage. You can use the same techniques for parsnips, but they need to be in the ground for longer.

Where do beans grow best?
Plenty of moisture and a fertile soil are essential for a good crop of beans so avoid very dry, poor soils if possible and prepare the ground well before planting or sowing. Like most vegetables, they enjoy a lot of sunshine and prefer a fairly sheltered site with some protection from cold winds. This also helps to avoid poor pod set due to poor pollination.
Rotate crops
Choose a new site for planting each year as beans are prone to foot and root rotting diseases that build up in the soil over time.
Using containers
Beans can be grown successfully in containers and, as they are so decorative, they can be used to great effect in a small garden, a backyard, patio or even a sheltered balcony. They won't crop as well as beans grown in open ground as it is harder to keep them well watered and to provide them with a good enough root run.

Sowing seeds in pots
If the soil is particularly wet or cold, direct sowing outside is best avoided for all types of beans. Sowing seeds indoors gives a faster and more reliable germination rate, particularly for runner beans. It is very important that seeds grown indoors are first 'hardened off' so that they can cope with the cooler conditions outdoors. The seedlings should be ready to plant out after about three weeks.

Sow a single bean seed per pot in multi-purpose compost at a depth of 4cm (1.5in). If using a seed tray, sow the beans 5cm (2in) apart.
Water well until the compost is thoroughly damp and repeat as necessary. The bean seed may not germinate if the compost dries out.
Label the pot clearly, and place on a sunny windowsill to germinate, which will take just a few days. When planting out, place the young plants about 15cm apart at the base of a cane. Runners are usually planted in double rows that are about 45cm apart.

Grow apple trees...
5. Thoroughly water in, with at least a nine litre (two gallon) can of water. Soak the soil around your tree to settle it down among the roots. Top up with more soil to fill in any holes. Give it a can of water once a fortnight to keep surrounding soil moist so new roots can grow into it.
6. Tie side branches to support wires running along the fence from post to post. Fix each arm in several places with string or wire ties. Check these regularly as the branches quickly grow and swell, making the ties too tight, cutting into the bark and restricting growth.
7. More arms can be formed in winter by cutting out the main shoot tip about 45cm (18in) above the last tier. Shoots develop from this. Leave one to grow up and gently tie those on either side to horizontal training wires at the end of the year to form the next tier.
8. Regularly tie down new growth at the ends of each branch to stop it growing upwards. Tie down branches at the end of each season to form new tiers. This process can be continued for many years, forming more and more arms to cover a wall or fence.

1. Pick a sunny, open site near a south or west-facing fence. Dig a wide, deep planting hole in front of a post, so the branches of the tree can be trained to cover the fence panels on either side. Make the hole near the fence so the tree can be positioned very close to it.
2. Prepare the planting hole well, because an apple tree will fruit for years if given a good start. Fork over the base of the hole, breaking up the subsoil to improve drainage, and mix in well-rotted compost. Sprinkle in a generous handful of fertiliser and dig it in.
3. Soak the roots of bare-rooted apple trees in water for a few hours before planting. The hole needs to be large enough for the roots to be spread out, so dig it out a little more if it looks cramped. This tree has two tiers of branches ready to be trained on support wires.
4. Fill in around the roots, using soil improved with added compost and fertiliser. Tease it in among the roots, firming gently to remove any air pockets. Ensure the bulbous graft union at the base of the stem sits above soil level. This should never be buried.