JANUARY 10 MINUTE JOBS

Pick Kale Leaves

One of the hardiest of winter veg is the Tuscan or black kale. It’s a very tasty leaf vegetable and is packed full of goodness. Picking it is very simple and it only takes a few minutes to pull off enough leaves for a meal.

Stock Up On Fertilisers

Before spring, check what dried fertilisers you have in the shed, such as Growmore, dried pellets, blood, fish and bone and work out if you’ll have enough for the coming season. If not get stocked up, so that come the growing season you’ll be prepared.

Order Seed Potatoes

If you buy your seed potatoes by mail order, get your order in as soon as possible to make sure you can get the varieties that you want. Alternatively, if you buy from a local garden centre or nursery, give them a call to ask when they’ll be in.

Insulate Outdoor Taps

In frosty weather check outdoor taps to make sure they are well insulated and if not, wrap them in fleece, hessian or fit a polystyrene cover. Better still, isolate the tap at the stop-cock to prevent pipes freezing and only turn it on when needed.

Check Grease Bands

If you fitted grease bands around your fruit trees in autumn to prevent the wingless females of the winter moth from climbing the trunk to lay eggs, check the bands now and change for fresh bands, or apply some fresh grease if they are drying out.