Well, it maybe mid-winter, cold and wet here, but that does not mean things have stopped moving and spinning, and in its inevitable way, spring will soon be springing so there is plenty to get ready for.
Veg and flowers – see some planting suggestions for July below
Trees – unless you are a robot, or your livelihood depends on it, no one ever gets everything right all the time, and although trimming trees is best done a few weeks after the last fruit has been picked, that does not always happen, and you can look up mid-winter and see long straggly unproductive growth shooting up to the sky! If that is the case, for trees that you are not wanting to grow taller it is best to do a light winter prune whilst the tree is still dormant and before the spring growth happens.
Undercutting – count up 3 or 4 buds from the base of the growth to an outward facing bud and undercut at the bud immediately above that one. This, in theory, will stop the sap flowing at the cutoff point, so the small bit of growth you have above your chosen bud, will die back and trick the tree into turning the remaining bud into a fruit spur. Can nature really be so easily tricked? Well try it and see.
Remember to use an 80% metho and 20% water mix to help sterilise your cutting tool.
Enjoy!
Peter