This is a great time to plan what you would like to do in the garden for the rest of the year. Take a note book and walk around the garden. Look at seed catalogues for ideas of what to sow.
Midwinter is a tough time for wildlife in the garden. Make sure there is a continuous supply of food and fresh water. Prune apple and pear trees, if there is no risk of frosts, by taking out any diseased, crossing or dead branches. The aim is to end up with an open tree that allows light and air into it.
Buy and start chitting early potatoes at the end of the month. Chitting will help to bring on a slightly earlier and heavier crop. Sow sweet peas inside if you haven’t already done so, pinch out the tips when they reach 10cm to encourage branching and new shoots.
Now is a good time to clean and sharpen your tools ready for use again in the spring. Smearing a thin film of oil over garden tools made of steel, or other metals liable to corrode, will protect them from rust. The wooden handles also benefit from a rub with linseed oil.
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