Fruit and Veg

• Winter-prune apple and pear trees to remove any dead, damaged, congested and diseased branches
• Sort out your seeds, throwing away empty or out-of-date packets and noting down any to buy for the coming season
• Plan this year’s crop rotation to ensure you grow each type of crop in a different bed to previous years
• Prune gooseberries and redcurrants, cutting sideshoots back to three buds from their base
• Clear old crops and weeds from the veg plot, then dig over the soil, mixing in compost as you go
• Regularly inspect stored crops, discarding any showing signs of rot or deterioration
• Plant bare-root fruit bushes, trees and canes into enriched soil, as long as the ground isn’t frozen
• Ensure netting is in place over brassicas, such as kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbages, to protect from pigeons
• Cover rhubarb plants with a bucket or terracotta pot to force an early crop of tender long stems
• Feed spring cabbages with high-nitrogen feed to encourage leafy growth
• Prune blackcurrants, if you haven’t done so already, removing about a quarter of the old stems
• Order seed potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic bulbs for planting in spring

Prune Apple and Pear trees

Now is the time to prune side shoots from Apple and Pear trees.

Greenhouse

• Sow winter salads in a greenhouse, conservatory or on a sunny windowsill, for harvests within a few weeks
• Tidy up the greenhouse, getting rid of any broken pots, old compost or debris that could hide unwanted visitors
• Move potted strawberry plants under cover to encourage early fruiting
• Check overwintering plants regularly for aphids, mealy bugs and other pests, and take action where necessary
• Bring potted peaches into the greenhouse to avoid leaf curl disease
• Plant hippeastrum (amaryllis) in pots and place on a warm windowsill
• Keep the greenhouse frost-free by installing a thermostatically-controlled electric fan heater
• Bring potted camellias into an unheated porch or greenhouse to encourage early flowering
• Take root cuttings of perennials such as phlox and Japanese anemones, and plant in free-draining compost
• Start sowing seeds of hardy annuals, such as cornflowers, cerinthe and ammi, in modular trays for early flowers
• Prepare your greenhouse for spring by improving the ventilation, shading and heating
• Repot moth orchids after flowering if they look like they’re about to burst out of their pot
• Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days to prevent humidity building up