Winter treatment of trees and shrubs should be well under way as we reach the middle of Autumn.

Basic Husbandry

Prune established trees and shrubs removing dead or diseased branches. On Apple and Crab Apple trees remove inward growing shoots and badly shaped branches.
Thin out weak shoots from climbing shrubs and hard prune misshapen or neglected plants like Solanum. Vines should be pruned by mid February or they will bleed sap. Cut back straggly Hamamellis lightly after flowering if required.

Water during autumn. Drying winds and lack of rain water can create drought-like conditions. Evergreens, such as hollies and rhododendrons are especially susceptible to dehydration since they lose moisture through the pores in the undersides of their leaves. Kkeep watering your newly planted trees and shrubs right up until the ground freezes

Mulch is a natural treatment for your trees in winter. It is no surprise that woodlands are covered in a thick, natural layer of rotting leaves from Autumn onwards.

Tidy up deciduous hedges with a light trim while you can still see the frame work. Collect any remaining loose leaves for composting.
Stake any trees that have suffered from wind rock during winter. Water young trees if the soil is dry.

Safety Treatment

Protect trunks and the bark of delicate ornamental trees from cracking by wrapping the trunk with strips of sacking. Wind them diagonally around the trunk, and secure the strips with twine. Protect young trees from Rabbits and Deer with chicken wire or a mesh surround.

Chemical treatments for winter coddling moth such as tar oil or proprietary sprays can be applied. Alternatively use grease bands on fruit trees.

Fertilisers are best kept until early spring but I do spread my compost heap and wood ash around trees in winter.

Prepare sites for planting.
Plant bare root roses when there is no frost in the ground, soak them in water for an hour first. Add compost and Blood Fish and Bone fertilizer and Mycorrhizal Fungi to encourage health root growth to a wide hole.
Plant seeds of trees and shrubs but be prepared for long germination periods.
Propagate Clerodendrum and Rhus from root cuttings.
Maintain good drainage and improve soil conditions