December

Fruit trees

• Thin out congested spurs of restricted fruit trees.
• Tie in new tiers of espaliers.
• Prune apples, pears, quinces and medlars.

Soft fruit

• Prune autumn raspberries.
• Prune red and white currants and gooseberries.

General

• Plant new trees and bushes. Don't plant if the ground is too wet or frosted.

Sowing and planting

• Plant shallots and garlic in mild areas with well-drained soil.

General care

• Parsnips taste better when frosted. Make sure to mark the trench, and cover it with a protective layer of cardboard if hard frosts are forecast.
• Stake or earth up any Brussels sprouts stalks that look leggy and vulnerable to wind rock.
• There's still time to force chicory. Pot them up and position them in a dark warm place. The tasty chicons will appear in three to six weeks.
• If you have not done so already, now is the time to dig over and incorporate soil improvers into vacant areas of the vegetable plot.
• Clear late-season debris off the vegetable plots, and dispose.
• Clean and store bamboo canes in the shed or other dry place to ensure they're still in good condition for next year. Broken or rotted ones can be shortened, where possible, for re-use.