Before the evening sign change, a fruit day fills most of the daylight hours — a good stretch to focus on woody plants and fruiting structures.
ORCHARD : Bare-root currant bushes and blackcurrants settle in well right now; set them 1.2 m apart in a prepared bed, work a generous handful of well-rotted compost into each planting hole, and firm the soil carefully around the roots. Grapevines can also be planted out if the ground is not frozen — choose a sheltered, south-facing position and stake securely against winter winds. Hazel planted this month will anchor itself quietly through the cold weeks ahead. Take hardwood cuttings from blackcurrant stems about 20 cm long, push them two-thirds into free-draining soil, and leave them to root over winter with minimal fuss. This is also a sound moment for fruiting pruning on quince and walnut: remove crossing branches and anything that crowds the centre, working with clean, sharp tools to keep wounds neat.
LANDSCAPING : Camellia and rhododendron both appreciate a refresh of their ericaceous mulch — spread a 5 cm layer of composted bark around the root zone, keeping it well clear of the stem base. Winter jasmine throwing out its cheerful yellow stems along a wall will benefit from having any loose growth tied back now, before the wind does the job less gently.
After the evening sign change, the energy shifts toward a root day — a quieter close to the evening well suited to turning compost or preparing ground for future planting.