VEGETABLE PATCH : A leaf day under the waxing crescent — the ascending moon draws energy into foliage, making this a steady morning to work under cover. Sow kale in trays, pressing seeds 1 cm deep with seeds 3 cm apart; at 15–18 °C seedlings emerge within a week and will be ready to plant out at 50 cm spacing once the cold retreats / Parsley is worth starting now in a module tray, 1 cm deep with seeds 2 cm apart — it’s notoriously slow to germinate, so an early start pays off by spring / Chicory sown under cover at 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, gives you a useful cut-and-come-again crop for late spring salads.
INDOORS : Wipe large-leaved houseplants with a damp cloth — winter dust settles invisibly and can halve the light reaching the leaf surface / Sorrel growing in a pot on a bright windowsill appreciates a diluted foliar spray of horsetail decoction; it strengthens cell walls and keeps leaves firm / Check that your lemon tree, overwintering under frost-free cover, isn’t sitting in a saucer of water — sparse watering now prevents root rot through to April.