ORCHARD : Graft marks on the bark, sap rising steadily — a waxing ascending crescent on a fruit day makes this a fine moment for fruit trees. Chip-bud or cleft grafting works well on apple tree and pear tree now; keep the union wrapped tightly and sheltered from wind. Check cherry tree and plum tree for canker wounds: clean back to healthy wood and seal carefully.
VEGETABLE PATCH : The soil is warming nicely — a rewarding window for fruiting crops under cover. Sow sweet pepper in a module tray: 0.5 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, in a warm propagator at 20–22 °C. Aubergine follows the same method: 0.5 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, then plant out later at 50 cm in the row, rows 60 cm. Courgette can go into individual pots now: 2 cm deep, one seed per 9 cm pot, to be hardened off before planting out at 80 cm, rows 100 cm. In Mediterranean climates, melon seeds can go directly under a cloche: 2 cm deep, seeds 5 cm apart.
LANDSCAPING : Check on your fig tree — a light spring tidy pays off. Remove any frost-damaged tips back to a healthy bud and let the warm wall do the rest. Tie in new wisteria shoots to the support before they tangle.