Clean bird baths and feeders well and regularly with garden disinfectant.
Prune birches (Betula) Japanese Maples (Acer) and ornamental and edible grapevines this month, as they are prone to bleed from pruning cuts in the months after Christmas.
If you have a sunny window sill, microgreens can provide regular harvests throughout winter. Many, such as Mung Beans, Mustard and Pea Shoots will grow happily in pots if well watered.
To keep Poinsettias (Euphorbia Pulcherrima) plants looking good throughout the Christmas period and beyond, position them in good light away from draughts. Allow the compost to dry out slightly between waterings.
Blackcurrant fruit best on younger wood, so remove up to a third of older branches at the base.
Prevent premature needle drop by placing Christmas trees in water. Always position trees away from heat and water container grown trees often.
Cut back overgrown deciduous shrubs such as Berberis, Weigela, Flowering Currant and Philadelphus. Thin them out by removing a few branches at ground level.
Plant dormant crowns of rhubarb from now until mid spring. Dig in plenty of well rotted compost or manure and plant so crown tip is just below the surface.
Pot up Hippeastrum (Amaryllis) bulbs, placing in a sunny spot indoors, to encourage flowering in the New Year. Keep two-thirds of the bulb above the soil. Increase watering as leaves grow.
Garlic can still be planted 2.5cm deep in in well drained soil or in pots.
