Sweet corn can be harvested when the long, silky tassels at their ends turn brown. To check that a cob is fully ripe, ease back some of the husk (sheath) and gently squeeze one of the kernels with a fingernail. If the juice that oozes out is creamy, the cob is ready for picking. For the best flavour, eat the sweet corn cobs on the day they are harvested.

Once hybrid berries such as loganberries, tayberries, tummelberries and sunberries have finished fruiting, the spent canes must be pruned to just above ground level. Tie in canes that formed this year to the support system – these will produce fruits next year - and surround the base of the plants with a fresh mulch of organic matter. Blackberries need the same treatment towards the end of September.

Prepare sites for new lawns by digging and forking over the soil and removing weeds and debris. A few days later, walk and rake over the area several times (in different directions) to consolidate the ground and create a level and crumbly surface tilth. Clear away stones and rubbish larger than a 10p piece. The seed should be sown in mid to late September and the area kept moist at all times.

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