ORCHARD : Before the sign change this morning, the day opens on a leaf note — a quiet window for checking fruit tree foliage, removing any mummified fruits left from winter, and clearing moss from trunks with a stiff brush. If you have young cherry trees or plum trees, now is a good moment to inspect for aphid colonies on the shoot tips and rub them off with a gloved hand before populations build.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Once the day shifts to a fruit type after the sign change, conditions become genuinely favourable for fruiting crops. Sow courgette 2 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart, under cover or directly in warm soil — they germinate fast and reward early sowing with an earlier harvest. Cucumber follows the same depth and spacing; keep modules at 18–20 °C for reliable germination. Melon seeds go in at 2 cm deep, 5 cm apart, best started under cover in a warm spot. For those with a greenhouse or polytunnel, sweet pepper modules sown 0.5 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, will appreciate the extra warmth — they are slow to get going and every week gained now counts. Aubergine can join them at the same depth and spacing. A light watering with room-temperature water after sowing avoids cold shock to these heat-loving plants.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria trained along a wall or pergola will be pushing new side shoots energetically right now — pinch them back to five or six leaves to channel the plant’s energy into flower buds for next year rather than unruly green growth.