In the garden this week: Give your tools some TLC, plus lime your soil for better veg

Look after your tools Tool maintenance requires a pretty basic kit. For spades, forks and the like, you need a brush, warm water, plus wire wool and an oil-soaked rag. Give them a good, soapy scrub, dry, then use the wire wool to remove rust and the rag to oil them up. For secateurs and garden knives, you need a damp rag, a carborundum stone and oil, plus a spray can of oil for moving parts. Clean, allow to dry, then sharpen and spray. Result? Tip-top tools for spring. Give veg a head start Applying lime to allotment soil is one of those jobs that are often overlooked, but it can make a big difference to crop growth. It helps reduce brassica club root problems, true, but its real magic is in making the soil less acidic, so nutrients are more easily absorbed by vegetable plants. Growth will be lusher, without any other effort. Autumn was the ideal time, but it's not too late. Apply only where no crops are growing.