Perfect time to get in the patch

It’s official, winter is upon us.

And while it may seem easier to curl up on the couch with a cup of tea and a good book, it is the perfect time to get amongst it in the patch.

There is a sense of hibernation for a lot of us but wherever you are in this nation it’s time to don the boots and get to it.

You should start seeing bare rooted fruit and deciduous trees starting to appear in your local nursery.

The stress is less for the tree as it is dormant.

Pick trees with a nice shape, and don’t forget to prune them back before you plant them out (best thing to do is ask the local nursery to do it for you).

Remember to make sure you have the correct pollinators to ensure a good crop.

Some stone fruit trees will not fruit until they have been in the ground for a few years. So be patient.

Give Brassica’s a place in your patch, pop in the following: broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts.

Plant some sage with these guys as a great, caterpillar and moth-repelling companion.

For plants that will settle in over winter, so that when spring comes along, they will go gang busters are: peas, beans, radish, Swedes, turnips and spinach.

And some spring onions would go a treat this month as well.

Set aside a bit of space and pop in an artichoke. These are gorgeous additions to the patch, look amazing, and taste pretty good too.

Set aside some space in the patch and plant some rhubarb crowns.

Add some colour and movement to the patch, and pop in some of these little prettiesdianthus, cornflower, pansy, viola, verbena and lupins.

Having these around your veggies will give some interest to the patch, and act as beneficial insect attractors.

Top up mulch on your veggie patches, herb gardens and ornamental beds, especially important for weed suppression at this time of year.

A hot tip is to mulch after watering the patch, to a depth of about 7cm.

Keep mulch clear of plant stems, especially young seedlings.

Choose low environmental impact mulch, one that will enrich your soil as it breaks down.

Also look for one that has done the least amount of travel to get to you.

Green manure crops, including oats, wheat, faba beans and field peas are good to go now. Improve that nutrient deficient veggie patch, and get ready for next seasons heavy feeding plants.

A seaweed tea, or any low environmental impact liquid fertiliser are perfect for the seedlings you’ve just popped in.

Apply to the soil early in the morning, and in the concentrations mentioned on the packet.

Weeding is still needed at this time of year.

Most plant growth has slowed down, so it will not have to happen as often.

But it also means that it is also a time of year to try and remove as many competitors as possible before the weather starts warming up again.

Water smarter at this time of year.

Water first thing in the morning, and instead of quick irrigation, a nice, deep drink a couple of times a week is far more beneficial.

Always check soil moisture before watering, don’t waste your precious drinking water if Mother Nature has already done all the hard work for you.

Cold days mean a bit of shed time… why not build yourself a nice blackboard for the shed, to keep track of what has been planted in your patch where and when?

This makes crop rotation a load easier, and allows you to keep track of feeding times and dates, what worked, what didn’t and what’s happening in the veggie garden.