Prune established open-grown apple and pear trees (not cordons, espaliers or fans).

Formative pruning of young, free-standing, fruit trees and bushes (under three years old) can also be done from now. They should at first be pruned to encourage branching and bushiness from the main stem. Subsequently, they should be encouraged to form an open-centred ‘goblet’ shape of main branches, without any being misplaced or crossing.

Prune currants and gooseberries.

Check tree stakes and ties while doing your winter pruning. They may need loosening, replacing, or removing.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken this month - this is a great way to propagate blackcurrants, red currants, white currants, gooseberries and grape vines. Use only disease-free plants for propagation.

Grape vines can also be propagated using eye cuttings. These are shorter than standard hardwood cuttings (having only one bud, or ‘eye’), and are used commercially to produce a large number of plants. Only attempt these if you are confident, as longer cuttings have more buds to rely on for rooting.

This is a good time to plant new fruit bushes and trees - as long as the soil isn't frozen or very wet.

Divide and plant rhubarb. Clumps can be lifted and prepared for forcing in early spring.

Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed (or other dry place) to ensure they're still in good condition for next year. Broken ones can be shortened, where possible, for re-use.

Pest & disease watch

Place mouse controls near stored fruit.

Regularly check fruit stores and remove rotting and mouldy specimens. These can be left out for birds and wildlife as a welcome winter treat.

Net crops to reduce pigeon damage and to keep bullfinches off fruit buds.

Be sure to remove dead or diseased wood, including spurs with mummified fruit that are the result of brown rot infections earlier in the year.

Look out for signs of canker when pruning fruit trees.

Apply fatty acid-based winter washes to dormant fruit trees, to control overwintering pest problems, such as aphids, apple suckers and scale insects. You will need to access all the nooks and crannies where they hide.

Rabbits and squirrels can be pests, particularly as the weather gets colder, gnawing the bark of fruit trees and bushes, and eating windfalls and harvests left outside to cure.

Poor winter drainage (e.g. on clay soils) can cause fruit trees and bushes to suffer, and may lead to the development of Phytophthora root rots. Mulching, installation of drainage nearby, and digging will help to improve the health of trees and bushes suffering in this way.

Attracting insect wildlife to your garden can help to control pest problems for next year.

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