Jobs to do this month

• Prune spring shrubs, such as forsythia and chaenomeles, after flowering to keep them compact

• Plant out dahlia tubers and cannas after all risk of frost has passed

• Tie in the new shoots of climbing plants, including clematis, wisteria and honeysuckle, to their supports

• Continue sowing annuals, such as California poppies, into gaps in borders for colour from August into autumn

• Plant up hanging baskets, but keep in a greenhouse or porch for a few weeks to establish, before putting outside

• Apply liquid feed to tulips, daffodils and other spring bulbs to encourage a good display next year

• Plant out summer bedding and tender annuals, including sunflowers, cosmos and nasturtiums, after the last frost

• Remove faded spring bedding, such as wallflowers and forget-me-nots, once faded and add to your compost bin

• Check lilies and fritillaries for scarlet lily beetles and their larvae, as they can rapidly strip plants of all foliage

• Harden off tender plants raised indoors, but bring them back in at night to protect from late frosts

• Pinch out the shoot tips of bedding plants and young annuals to encourage bushier growth

• Earth up potatoes, covering the shoots with soil as they appear

• Reduce slug and snail populations by going on regular evening hunts, especially during damp weather

• Start sowing dwarf and climbing French beans, as well as runner beans, directly outdoors in warm weather

• Pick rhubarb stems as they develop, and water plants with liquid feed

• Start hardening off tender young plants, such as tomatoes and courgettes, ready for planting out in mild areas

• Sow batches of salad leaves and stir-fry crops every few weeks to provide continuous pickings

• Thin out seedlings from earlier sowings to ensure you get healthy, strong-growing plants

• Remove all strawberry runners, so plants put their full energy into fruiting

• Keep plenty of fleece handy to protect young seedlings or fruit blossom, if late frosts are forecast