VEGETABLE PATCH : The sign shifts in the early morning hours, and from then on the day settles firmly into leaf energy — a welcome invitation to focus on leafy crops under the descending moon. If you have young cabbage or kale plants hardened off under cover, move them to their final positions now: space plants 50 cm apart in the row, with 60 cm between rows, and firm the soil well around each stem. Brussels sprout plants benefit from the same treatment — 60 cm in the row, 70 cm between rows. Corn salad transplants can go in too, 5 cm apart in rows 20 cm wide. Harvest outer leaves of spinach, swiss chard and rocket while cell moisture is high, cutting cleanly with a sharp knife. On sandy soils, lay a 5–8 cm mulch of straw between rows to retain moisture through winter.
LANDSCAPING : Before the sign change fully takes hold, the brief flower window in the early morning suits any last-minute tidying around roses and chrysanthemums — remove dead stems and clear spent material from the base. Through the rest of the day, turn your attention to hedges: trim box and formal hedges now, working steadily along each run and finishing with a generous mulch of bark chips at the base, 8–10 cm deep. Clematis and wisteria ties deserve a check too — loosen any that have tightened and replace fraying cord before winter storms test them.
INDOORS : Lemon trees and oleanders brought inside for winter appreciate a cooler, bright spot rather than a warm living room. Water sparingly — every 10–14 days is usually enough — and resist the urge to feed until late February. Cyclamen in pots thrive in a cool hallway with indirect light; remove yellowing leaves at the base to keep air circulating.