VEGETABLE PATCH : The descending waning gibbous moon holds steady on a root day — underground energy is concentrated, and your soil is ready to receive. Direct your attention to crops that develop below ground: sow Hamburg parsley and scorzonera in deep module trays (at least 10 cm depth) filled with a gritty seed compost, placing seeds 8 mm deep and spacing rows 10 cm apart once pricked out. Celeriac (‘Monarch’ or ‘Prinz’) benefits from an early indoor start now — scatter seeds thinly on the surface of moist compost, press lightly without covering, and place under a propagator lid at 15–18 °C; germination is slow but rewards patience. Under a cold frame or polytunnel, check overwintering swede and Jerusalem artichoke for any signs of rot at the crown, and firm back any frost-lifted tubers with your boot. On sandy soils, top-dress root vegetable beds with a 3 cm layer of well-rotted compost to improve moisture retention ahead of spring sowing.
ORCHARD : Bare-root quince and medlar are still available from specialist nurseries this week — if you have a sheltered corner, heel them in temporarily in moist soil until a permanent spot is ready. Check stored quinces and medlars for soft spots, discarding any showing brown flesh to prevent spread through the crate. On established gooseberry and blackcurrant bushes, complete any remaining winter pruning: remove one-third of the oldest stems at the base with clean secateurs to open the centre and encourage vigorous new fruiting wood. A dilute seaweed solution (20 ml per 10 litres) watered around the root zone of fruit bushes now supports dormant root activity without forcing premature growth.
INDOORS : A quiet morning is a good moment to check on forced chicory (‘Witloof’) and chicons growing in the dark: remove any yellowing outer leaves, keep the substrate just barely moist, and harvest chicons once they reach 12–15 cm, cutting cleanly at the base with a sharp knife. Pot-grown mint divisions and chive clumps brought inside earlier in winter will be showing new growth — snip lightly to encourage density and move them closer to the brightest window available.