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AFTER a long and chilly winter, we finally have the hope of warmer weather on the horizon.

Gardeners can start preparing their outdoor spaces for spring and TV legend Monty Don has shared a list of jobs you should start with before the end of February.

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From sewing seeds to pruning back older plants, there are many jobs on the to-do list.

On his blog, BBC star Monty shared: “February is the month when the garden really starts to come alive and grow even if the weather can be severe and the days are still short.”

With the sun starting to set past 5pm, it could be the perfect time to tick a few items off to ensure you get a beautiful garden for summer…

Sow seeds

While it may seem too cold for many plants, it’s actually a good time to start planting seeds, claims the gardening expert.

You can start by filling some seedling trays with soil to start growing plants inside with some light and a bit of warmth.

Some seed trays come with a lid and can be plugged in to warm up the seeds – giving the effect of an incubator or greenhouse in summer.

Monty advised that you should remove seedlings from a warm heat source when they have started to sprout so it builds up hardier plants.

He wrote in Gardener’s World: “It’s very tempting to mollycoddle seedlings, especially early in the spring. This is always a mistake.”

Monty shared how they should be planted in a sheltered area with plenty of ventilation.

The gardening expert recommended that vegetables that you can plant now include “leeks, peas, kale and rhubarb.”

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While it may be too cold outside for some plants, you can start sowing seeds inside[/caption]

Mulch soil

If you have a large enough outdoor space, mulching is one of the most important jobs you can do in your garden.

The process includes spreading a layer of leaves, compost or organic material over the soil, to achieve three jobs all at once.

Monty shared how it suppresses weeds, increases water retention in the soil and improves the structure and nutrition of the soil by feeding worms and other bugs.

On his blog, he advised of mulching: “It is important to spread it thick enough – no less than two inches deep and twice that if you have enough material.

“It is better to do half the garden properly than all of it with too thin a layer of mulch.”

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You should add mulch – leaves, compost or organic material – to your flowerbeds[/caption]

Pruning 

Monty shared how pruning can be left until March, but you’ll want to do it before spring is in full swing.

The gardening expert advised that when you tackle the job, make sure you use very sharp tools and be targeted about where you chop.

He shared: “Do not snip at random but make your cut just above a bud or a leaf or the joint of another stem.”

When it comes to thick branches, avoid using secateurs as they are too small.

Meanwhile, with clematis, Monty said you shouldn’t be afraid to go to town and snip it right back, and roses can also take “a mauling.”

He wrote: “The old rhyme ‘if it flowers before June do not prune’ will get you out of most trouble.”

Tomatoes 

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Monty plants two staggered batches of tomatoes ready for summer[/caption]

In preparation for summer salads, you can start thinking about tomatoes.

Monty shared how he plants his in two batches – one in February and the second in March or April – which is an insurance against bad weather.

The gardening whizz shared how you should scatter the seed lighting on the surface of compost in a seed tray and then cover with another layer of compost.

When it comes to helping them grow, he advised that you don’t hold back with water, and they should be put in a warm spot to germinate.

When the first set of true leaves appears, you should move them into bigger pots as they then have roots.

When May comes, they can be put in even bigger pots or in a vegetable patch.

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Help feed birds in your garden but putting out feeders of nuts and seeds[/caption]

Feed birds

Finally, Monty shared how encouraging birds into your garden can help bring joy and life.

And now is a key time to feed them up so they are strong as it’s the time when they start to mate, nest and lay their first batches of eggs.

The best food to put out is nuts and seeds, as well as ensuring they have clean water to drink and bathe in.

READING are in exclusive negotiations with a new unnamed buyer.

Current Chinese owner Dai Yongge has had the club up for sale the past 18 months.

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Reading have faced years of off the pitch turmoil[/caption]

Rex Features

And were on the brink of being taken over by ex-Wycombe owner Rob Couhig in the summer.

Dai Yongge pulled out and there is currently a legal battle between the two parties.

Reading fans are in fear of what will happen this summer with only five first-team players currently contracted for next season – despite the Royals sitting just three points behind the League One play-off spots.

A club statement said this period is “to complete final due diligence and legally complete the transaction. Whilst timelines cannot be guaranteed, the structure of the deal should allow for a quick completion, which would be for the benefit of all concerned.”

It includes “the transfer of Mr Dai’s shareholding in The Reading Football Club Limited, as well as the Select Car Leasing Stadium and Bearwood Park training ground.”

The Royals were relegated from the Championship in 2023 after 10 years in the second tier, with a six-point deduction for breaching profitability and sustainability rules proving the difference between staying up and going down.

They were docked a further two points at the beginning of the following season for failing to pay their players.

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Reading fans invade the pitch during the League One match with Port Vale[/caption]

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The Port Vale match was abandoned in the 16th minute following the pitch invasion[/caption]

Fans soon launched a ‘Sell Before We Dai‘ campaign, urging Mr Yongge to sell his stake in the club and labelled their decline under his ownership an “unmitigated disaster”.

More points deductions followed, and Reading’s home game against Port Vale was abandoned in January 2024 after fans invaded the pitch in protest at the ongoing ownership woes.

Just last week a petition was launched calling for MPs to scrutinise Reading’s woes, and called on a DCMS committee to launch an investigation.

The petition, hosted on local MP Yuan Wang’s website, takes aim at Mr Yongee and his sister Dai Xiu Li, who co-owns the club.

According to the BBC, more than 8,400 people had signed the petition as of Monday evening.

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