Don't sow or plant this month just because advice in books and magazines tells you that February is a good time to do these jobs. Even if you have covered the soil with cloches or plastic sheeting, you can't be sure the soil is warm enough for sowing seeds unless you test it with a soil thermometer. A soil thermometer isn't expensive and if it is used properly it can make a difference to the number of seeds you can germinate successfully. It is a wise precaution not to sow anything outside until the soil temperature has remained above 45 F (7 C) for a week. Without the protection of cloches it's not likely that this temperature will be reached before the end of the month.

If you haven't already done so, order your plants from the Nursery now and take time to plan how many begonia corms and dahlia tubers you will require. Pests such as greenfly can already be a problem in the greenhouse and even outside in some parts of the country.

Continue to remove rubbish and debris from the garden wherever you find it, and at the same time destroy all slugs and snails and you will reduce the problems they cause later in the year.

Examine stored dahlia tubers every few weeks for any sign of shrivelling or rotting as was suggested last month. If the stored tubers are showing any sign of rotting, cut away any portions of the tubers that are damaged and treat the cuts with a sulphur dust. Make sure that the labels remain tightly attached to the tubers or you won't know which dahlia is which when you come to plant them out.

Strawberry plants growing in pots can be brought into the greenhouse early this month. With little or no heat you can harvest strawberries from these young plants by early May. First year plants outdoors can also be brought forward by covering them with cloches or a plastic tunnel. These strawberries will be ready two weeks ahead of those in the open.

Prune fuchsias when they start into growth and pink buds appear on the branches. This will help shape the plants and encourage the new growth on which flowers are produced. Start by removing dead and spindly stems. Two weeks after pruning there will be plenty of young growth for repotting to be necessary, and this means potting back into smaller pots. Remove all the old compost without damaging the new roots. Lightly prune large old roots and ones that are damaged. These plants will require regular spraying, but avoid heavy watering as the root systems are not able to cope with too much water.

All house plants should be watered sparingly, letting the compost dry out slightly until new growth begins. Plants kept in a centrally-heated room may continue to grow slowly, so these should be watered more frequently. Don't overwater plants kept in a cool room as this will cause the roots to rot and the plant will die. Only feed plants that are growing strongly or are in flower. Spray or wipe a proprietary leaf shine on the upper leaf surfaces. Clean dust from hairy-leaved plants with a soft brush.

Any lawn on heavy soil that gets a lot of use soon becomes compacted and forms an impervious layer which prevents water percolating down. Where pools of water are lying on the lawn, it is better to spike the area with a garden fork. Try to keep off the grass as much as possible, and try to avoid walking on the lawn when it is very wet and waterlogged.