VEGETABLE PATCH : A root day with the waxing crescent — steady conditions for sowing underground crops under cover. Try turnip first: push seeds 1 cm deep, 3 cm apart, in rows 25 cm, then cover lightly with fleece. Black salsify is worth a tray too — sow 2 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 30 cm; its long dark roots are a quiet winter luxury. Skirret is a rarely grown gem — sow 1 cm deep, seeds 3 cm apart, rows 40 cm, and thin later to 20 cm. Harvest any black radish or celeriac still in the ground for the kitchen today.
ORCHARD : Bare-root currant bushes and blackcurrant plants go in well now — space them 1.2 m apart, work a handful of compost into each hole and firm gently with your heel. Check ties on young fruit trees; a loose stake in winter wind does more damage than frost.
INDOORS : Your lemon tree in its pot needs very little water through December — check the soil every ten days and water only when the top 3 cm feel completely dry. Keep it away from cold draughts near the window at night.