January

Remove fruit mummies (old fruit from the previous year) that are still hanging on the tree. This is extremely important for plums because of diseases such as bladder plum or plum pocket disease or Monilia fructigena. By summer at the latest, this disease otherwise threatens to spread further.

Damage due to excessive browsing by game can be severe in some places. Rabbits are virtually everywhere. So take care and protect young fruit trees in particular. Put a fence made of wire netting around your garden and slightly embed this in the soil. Protect individual trees against browsing by game by using wire cylinders or mesh tubing. A repellent can help to prevent tunnelling underneath paved paths and reduce the risk of injuries. Ask at your garden centre for a suitable product.

Voles, in particular, like to gnaw the roots of young fruit trees and can cause severe damage. The tunnels are usually flat and just below the surface of the ground. The overlying soil is slightly broken upwards.

A good way to combat voles is by setting a vole trap. Bait the trap with carrot, apple or celery and place this inside the tunnel.

A particularly convenient method of combating voles is to use granulated bait. Ask at your garden centre for a suitable product.

Now is the time that deer and rabbits cause damage to ornamental shrubs and bulbs by feeding on the bark, buds and shoots. Protect vulnerable plants from gnawing and browsing from game by using a repellent in good time. Ask at your garden centre for a suitable product.