Formative pruning of young, free standing, fruit trees and bushes (under three years old) can also be done 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.

Consider renovating old apple and pear trees if the quality and flavour of the fruit is worth the effort.

Cut down, and remove the stumps of old or worn out fruit trees that are not worth renovating.

Currants and gooseberries can be pruned now. The main priority with gooseberries and red and white currants, is to prune back the laterals that fruited last year to a couple of buds from the main branches. Blackcurrants do best when one-third to a half of all the older branches are removed from the base each year, to keep a good proportion of young, vigorous growth.

If you did not prune and train your summer fruiting raspberries earlier in the season, then you can still do it now - you will be better able to see what you are doing once the leaves have fallen. Old fruited canes should be cut to ground level and removed. New canes (which will provide fruit later this year) should be tied in to the supports in a well-spaced fashion. This will make picking easier, and will allow you to keep the coming season’s new growth separate from its fruiting canes.

Hardwood cuttings can be taken this month, using material removed during pruning. This is a great way to propagate blackcurrants, redcurrants, white currants and gooseberries. Remember to use only disease-free plants for propagation.

This is a good time to plant new fruit bushes and trees - as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

Spread your remaining garden compost and organic matter over the ground - this will improve the soil next spring and will also leave your compost bin vacant for debris in the new growing season. Or mulch fruit trees, bushes and canes with organic matter.

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

Place cloches over strawberry plants that were planted last summer, or bring potted ones into the greenhouse or conservatory. The extra warmth will give you an earlier crop.

Pest & disease watch

Be sure to remove any dead or diseased wood from apples and pears, including spurs with mummified fruit from brown rot infections earlier in the season.

Also check for cankers.

Apply fatty acid-based winter washes to dormant fruit trees to control overwintering eggs of aphid, apple sucker and scale insect.

Erect a clear polythene rainproof cover over wall-trained peaches from January to April to prevent problems with peach leaf curl. Do not let the cover touch the plant and ensure it is in contact with the soil.

You may also need to spray outdoor peaches against peach leaf curl, if this has been a problem in previous years.

Net or cage tree and soft fruit crops, if you have not already done so, to reduce pigeon damage and keep bullfinches off fruit buds. Cages can be removed once flowering starts.

Renew your grease bands, if they have been in place a long time, to protect trees against winter moths.

Place mouse controls near your fruit stores.

Regularly check fruit stores, and remove any rotting or mouldy specimens.

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