Fruit and veg job checklist - week 1

31 - 6 January 2013

It's time to...

Keep harvesting root vegetables as they mature, including parsnips and leeks
Order seed potatoes, onion sets and shallots
Stretch netting over brassicas to protect them from pigeons
Cover clumps of rhubarb with buckets or terracotta pots to force early stems
Prune red and white currants, shortening side shoots to a single bud
Pot up strawberries to grow under cover for an early crop
Check your soil's pH with a special kit and add lime if it's too acidic for your plants
Check fruit and vegetables in store, removing any showing signs of deterioration
Pick off yellowing leaves from the stems of Brussels sprouts and keep harvesting early varieties
Cut down canes of autumn-fruiting raspberries to soil level