Kitchen Garden - December

Vegetables

• Clear away the remains of old crops and put them on your compost heap.  Remember to add J. Arthur Bower’s  Garotta compost maker to every 15 cm (6 inches) layer of new material.

• Earth up winter brassicas such as cabbages and Brussels sprouts to stop them being blown about in strong winds. Sprouts may even need to be staked to stop them blowing over.

Herbs

• Protect bay trees in very cold weather. If snow is forecast it is beneficial to loosely cover the tree with some garden fleece. If it’s in a container move it to a sheltered spot.

• Take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries. The cuttings should be about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) long and should be buried in a trench in the open ground to about half their length.

• Continue pruning apples, pears, gooseberries and redcurrants.

• Grape vines must be pruned when dormant as otherwise the sap will gush out severely weakening the plant. Pruning can be done now – be ruthless and cut back all new shoots to just two or three buds. Main stems can also be shortened if necessary.

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