Garden shed owners 'should not neglect fruit trees this winter'

08:12:20 8th December 2010

There are still a number of gardening jobs that shed owners can do over the winter months despite the poor weather, one commentator has claimed.

Green-fingered journalist Ana Pavord writes in the gardening section of the Independent that people should prune their fruit trees, but said that winter pruning is not as important as summer pruning, so people do not have to spend hours on this task.

"With big, established trees, you need do no more than cut out thin, weak shoots, or any wood that is diseased or already dead," Ms Pavord writes.

She goes on to advise people to check the bowls of hyacinths that they have rooting in dark, cool places, such as garden sheds, to make sure that the compost is not drying out.

Ms Pavord says that people should cover their flower beds and borders with a thick mulch of compost, describing this as "the best Christmas present you can give your garden".

The Saga Group recently recommended that homeowners trim any loose branches from trees in their gardens, claiming that these can cause damage to properties if they break off in strong winds.