Before the morning sign change, a fruit day lingers briefly — then the day shifts firmly into root territory, and that’s where the real work begins.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Reach for your seed packets now: a root day under the waning crescent is a steady, productive window for sowing. Draw drills 1 cm deep and drop carrot seeds 2 cm apart in rows spaced 25 cm — a light, well-raked bed gives them the best start / Parsnip is worth sowing early: 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart in rows 30 cm wide; germination is slow, so mark the row clearly / Black radish responds well to this timing too — sow 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 30 cm; the flavour deepens with cool spring nights / Thinning any radish seedlings already showing? Do it now, leaving 3 cm between plants to let each root swell without competition / On heavy or clay soils, work in a little sharp sand before sowing to open the structure and prevent compaction around tender roots.
ORCHARD : Scan the base of apple tree, pear tree, and quince tree trunks for any moss or lichen building up around the collar — gently clear it away and check that mulch hasn’t crept too close to the bark / If you planned to plant garlic cloves but the ground was too wet last week, a drier spell now is worth seizing: push each clove 3 cm deep, tip upward, 12 cm apart in rows 25 cm wide.
LANDSCAPING : Check on any rose planted this winter — press soil firmly around the base if frost has lifted the roots, then water in gently to settle the ground and protect new growth as temperatures begin to climb.