Here are a few top tips to help you make the best job of maintaining your soil.

• Your plants need a supply of nutrients to crop well, so you’ll need to feed regularly.
• Investigate the needs of individual plants, as these will vary depending on the plant and the season.
• Start by adding compost or well-rotted manure to the soil to improve soil structure and help it retain moisture.
• Just before planting, dig in some blood, fish and bone or all-purpose fertiliser.
• Leafy crops generally benefit from a general liquid feed through the growing season. Fruiting crops prefer a tomato food.
• Container-grown crops need a weekly liquid or slow-release fertiliser.
• You can also mulch the soil  by covering it with compost, well-rotted manure or leafmould, keeping it away from touching the plants themselves.