
As it gets darker and colder this month, there are gardening jobs to be getting on with in the shed or the warmth of the house. If you use heated propagators, heat mats or grow lights, now is the best time to check that they are all in good condition and work well, especially if they have not been used for a few months as mice can damage the wiring. After making sure everything is in good order and working well, make sure the equipment will still do the job for you in spring and look at replacing any that's damaged.
By ordering new equipment early in the month you'll beat the Christmas postal rush, plus you can always drop hints to family and friends if you need something new for the garden!
CLEANING HAND TOOLS
Hand tools also need some attention, especially those which won’t be used until the spring. I find that it’s best to remove any rust or stubborn marks with a wire brush before using a coarse file to work any nicks or dints out of the cutting edge; after this you can use a finer file if needed. Finally, I wipe the whole tool over with boiled linseed oil, both the wood and metal alike. This gives protection to both and helps rejuvenate the wood. One word of warning: make sure to keep any linseed-oiled rags in a tin and keep the lid on the bottle as they can combust in certain circumstances.
While you are cleaning, it’s worth removing the writing from any plastic plant labels so they are ready to use in spring. Pencil can be removed with water, or methylated spirits (or nail varnish remover) will get rid of pen. As your labels break over time, it’s worth buying wooden lolly sticks to use as replacements; just remember they only last a year before they begin to rot, but they can be put on the compost heap.
INSULATING TAPS
Esta historia es de la edición December 2022 de Kitchen Garden.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor ? Conectar
Esta historia es de la edición December 2022 de Kitchen Garden.
Comience su prueba gratuita de Magzter GOLD de 7 días para acceder a miles de historias premium seleccionadas y a más de 9,000 revistas y periódicos.
Ya eres suscriptor? Conectar

DIGGING THE DIRT NEW KIDS ON THE BLOCK
Every allotment site needs its own superhero and, luckily for John Holloway and his fellow allotmenteers, Sailor Steve came to the rescue

MAKE ROOM FOR CABBAGE
Our humble cabbage is a powerhouse of goodness and we could all benefit from eating more of it. KG deputy editor Emma Rawlings offers tips on growing this popular brassica

SWEET DREAMS ARE MADE OF THESE
Instagrammer Olga Grieves is passionate about growing sweet peas. This month she shares her favourite varieties and explains how to create a stunning display

HERB OF THE MONTH MINT
With its strong flavour, distinctive aroma and its versatility, mint has to be one of the best herbs to have outside your back door, ready for you to pick from spring through to autumn

PRODUCTIVE PLOT
Last summer we launched a competition to find our Top Plotters, with the top three winning some great prizes and the chance to be featured in Kitchen Garden magazine this year. Here we meet our third-placed winner

SUPER SOUASHES
Every garden should make space for squashes but with so many to choose from and so many ways to grow them, where to begin? Benedict Vanheems gets us started

GET PLANNING!
As much as we love to get going straightaway on our veg patch or allotment it's always good to start with a plan, as Becky Searle explains

Bio-stimulant or plant food: What's the difference?
Angharad James, product manager at Maxicrop, explains the difference between a bio- stimulant and plant fertiliser, and discusses which to choose when for a thriving garden

MEET THE BLOGGER MY COTTAGE GARDEN
Inspired by her grandfather, Instagrammer Sarah Pursey from Northamptonshire shares her passion for growing veg and flowers in her long back garden, a throwback to the 1930s

POTTY ABOUT STRAWBERRIES
This month David Patch turns his attention to growing succulent strawberries in pots, offering useful practical tips and recommendations for some choice varieties