A new year and winter pruning

We have done our winter pruning of the fruit trees and bushes this morning, and given them all a spray with some organic winter wash. We always find pruning a bit stressful as we are not very confident that we are doing it correctly.

You can find good advice on pruning fruit trees at the RHS website and also the  Ashridge Nursery website. Here’s a video from Ashridge on pruning a three-year old tree, which we have found very useful.

I’m always pleased with the turn into the new year. The days are lengthening and the weather is usually colder but dryer here. Its time to think with optimism of the gardening season to come.

Calendar 2014: January

Over at the Grapevine we are posting monthly views of our gardens/allotments to show and record the changes that occur during the year. I thought I would do the same here and post the relevant monthly photos.

The savoy cabbages are under netting as are the surviving purple sprouting broccoli. The heavy snow in November caused a lot of damage and the netting should protect the crops – somewhat – from any further snow and ice. Though I will think twice about growing PSB again, its a very long growing season and they need a lot of TLC to survive here.

Looking south from the garden shed

 

The fruit trees have all been pruned, which was a bit of a fraught job, as we have never done this before. Finger crossed that we have done it correctly, only time will tell.

Looking north through the orchard.