Reach out I’ll be there
On cold dry days during the winter months, time is focused on finishing the clear up of the plot.
Tools need to be cleaned, sharpened and rubbed with oil, canes tied up and stored out of the way. Any debris is best either composted or, if diseased, burnt on the bonfire. The bonfire, usually the bastion of the men on the site, is best left till after a few dry, windy days, as it is no fun trying to light a soggy woody mass.
For the last few winters, when the weather has suited, I have spent time making up plant supports for the plot. Made from either hazel rods or willow, they follow the age-old pattern of the five bar gate or hurdles used in times past for penning sheep. About one third scale they have proved invaluable for supporting early peas and holding back the vigorous growth of annuals in the flower garden.
In late autumn, rods are gathered and left under cover awaiting use. These simple structures require the minimum of tools; an axe, chisel and a drill. I prefer to use a cordless battery drill to save time but the original cordless drill, a bit and brace, would suffice. End posts are selected and matched up having sets of holes drilled out to take the rails. These holes are trimmed with a chisel or a twibil, an old tool used for dressing out mortise joints.
The rails are then chosen and their ends dressed with the axe on a chopping block. After fitting the rails and pinning both ends of the top and bottom, diagonal braces are fitted. The bottoms of the posts are then dressed to a point and coated with a bitumen paint to help extend the life of the hurdle.
They have proved popular and I have used them in clients’ gardens to support herbaceous perennials that threaten to swamp pathways etc.
This year my willow hedges planted three years ago will need coppicing hard to the ground to stimulate new growth, so the tops will be incorporated in this winters production. Also a client has requested some obelisks made in the style favoured by the Victorians to support climbers, such as sweet peas. So with lots to do, spring will soon be upon us.
Winter Work
Fruit
• Plant new trees and bushes. Don’t plant if the ground is too wet or frosted, they tend to get off to a slow start.
• Thin out congested spurs of restricted fruit trees.
• Tie in new tiers of espaliers.
• Prune apples, pears, quinces and medlars.
• Prune autumn raspberries.
• Prune red and white currants and gooseberries.
Vegetables
• Plant shallots and garlic in sheltered spots with well-drained soil.
• Parsnips taste better when frosted. Make sure to mark the trench, and cover it with a protective layer of cardboard if hard frosts are forecast.
• Stake or earth up any Brussels sprouts stalks that look leggy and vulnerable to wind rock.
• If you have not done so already, now is the time to dig over and incorporate soil improvers into vacant areas of the vegetable plot.
• Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed or other dry place to ensure they’re still in good condition for next year. Broken or rotted ones can be shortened, where possible, for re-use.
Problems
• Protect new sowings such as broad beans and crops still in the ground from mice.
• Place mice controls near stored fruit and vegetables as well.
• Slugs can still pose a threat and slug controls are necessary now, as always.
• Protect brassicas from pigeons using cloches, netting or fleece.
• Remove any yellowed leaves on Brussels sprouts and other brassicas. This will prevent the development of grey mould and brassica downy mildew.
• Remove all remaining plant debris from the vegetable plot. Do not compost any diseased material.
First published By The Dart December 2014
