I’m sneaking in a few last-minute chores before seed-sowing begins in earnest. One of the quickest and most satisfying is giving those autumn raspberry canes a little chop back. You should cut them down to ground level in winter, while the plants are still fast asleep, and then give them a little pick-me up in the form of some comfrey tea. I also draw a warm blanket of mulch around their shallow roots: some well-rotted horse manure does perfectly.

Of course, you can leave the canes to produce an earlier crop. But if you’ve planted both summer and autumn-fruiting varieties, there isn’t much point: autumn raspberries bring fruit just when other crops are starting to dwindle, so chop away now for a happy, fruity autumn.