ORCHARD : Scratch the soil gently beneath your fruit trees — a waning moon approaching last quarter is a fine moment to focus on fruiting wood. Grapevines can be checked now; press any loose soil back around the base and apply a mulch of well-rotted compost 5 cm deep, keeping it clear of the trunk. Raspberry canes can be tidied — remove any dead wood at ground level and check that supports are firm before new growth surges.
VEGETABLE PATCH : Sow tomatoes under cover, 0.5 cm deep with seeds 3 cm apart in trays or modules — a heated propagator at 18–22 °C gives the best germination. Sweet pepper and aubergine seeds sown now at the same depth will produce strong plants ready to set out in May. Courgette seeds can also go into modules, 2 cm deep with seeds 5 cm apart, ready for planting out once frost risk passes.
LANDSCAPING : Wisteria and clematis planted this week will settle in well with a thorough watering-in and a layer of mulch at the base — keep it 5 cm back from the stems to prevent rot.