VEGETABLE PATCH : A root day with the waning gibbous descending moon — good conditions for soil work and planting bulbs and tubers / Garlic cloves go in 3 cm deep, tip pointing up, 12 cm apart in rows; if your soil is heavy, work in a little coarse sand beforehand to keep water from pooling around the base / Parsnip beds can be prepared now — break up any compacted layers with a fork and work in compost so roots will run straight and deep come spring / Black salsify is worth a try if you have a free row: loosen the bed to 30 cm, as these roots resent any obstacle that makes them fork.
ORCHARD : Bare-root quince trees and hazel still available in nurseries will settle in well now — dig a generous hole, loosen the base, and backfill in stages, firming with your foot as you go / Grapevines can be pruned while fully dormant: cut back to two or three strong buds per cane, then clear away prunings to reduce overwintering disease pressure / If you have walnut trees, resist any hard pruning — a light formative cut on young trees is all they need at this stage.