ORCHARD : A Waning Gibbous moon, descending and still broadly illuminated at 81% — the kind of quiet winter day that rewards careful attention to your fruit trees. Turn your eye to established fan-trained fig (Ficus carica) and cherry (Prunus avium) on sheltered walls: check that ties haven’t bitten into the bark over autumn, and replace any that have with padded tree ties, leaving a finger’s width of play / Inspect stored quinces (Cydonia oblonga) and late-keeping apple varieties such as ‘Granny Smith’ or ‘Calville Blanc’ — remove any showing soft spots before they affect neighbours; a single rotting fruit can contaminate an entire tray within days / On milder plots or in a frost-free garage, pot up bare-root gooseberry (Ribes uva-crispa) and redcurrant (Ribes rubrum) cuttings taken earlier in winter into 1-litre pots of gritty compost, watering in gently with 200 ml per pot to settle the medium without waterlogging / Mediterranean gardeners can lightly mulch the base of young lemon (Citrus limon) and kumquat (Fortunella margarita) trees with 5 cm of pine bark, keeping mulch 10 cm clear of the trunk to prevent collar rot.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Scan overwintering brassicas — purple sprouting broccoli (Brassica oleracea var. italica), kale ‘Nero di Toscana’ and Brussels sprouts (Brassica oleracea var. gemmifera) — for signs of pigeon damage or cabbage white caterpillar overwintering in the leaf axils; remove affected leaves and check netting integrity / Under a cold frame or polytunnel, sow a short row of spinach (Spinacia oleracea ‘Monstrueux de Viroflay’) directly into the bed at 1 cm deep, 5 cm apart — germination is slow in low temperatures but these seedlings will be ahead of the game come February / Check stored onion sets and shallot bulbs (Allium cepa var. aggregatum) in their trays: discard any that feel soft or show mould, and ensure the storage space stays below 10 °C with good airflow to prevent sprouting.
INDOORS : Windowsill herbs need a little attention at this point in winter. Snip back leggy stems of lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) and mint (Mentha spicata) to 5 cm above the soil, encouraging compact bushy regrowth rather than weak, pale shoots reaching for thin December light / Check forcing jars of witloof chicory (Cichorium intybus var. foliosum): if chicons have reached 15 cm, harvest them cleanly at the base with a sharp knife and start a new batch by setting fresh roots in damp sand in a dark cupboard at 15–18 °C / On a bright south-facing sill, water potted dwarf citrus (Citrus × microcarpa) sparingly — no more than 150 ml every ten days — as overwatering in low-light conditions is the most common cause of yellowing leaves and fruit drop at this season.