There's plenty you can do in the dark days of Winter...

First and foremost, you should try and visit your plot regularly, even in winter. Bad weather may have damaged things on your plot (sheds, greenhouses, polytunnels) and it's also a good time, when there is little vegetation around, to start planning your planting plots and what is going to go in them. But there's plenty more...

Clearing

With no leaves and withered vegetation, it's easier to clear areas of your plot. Cut hedges and trees back. Think about last summer and maybe when you thought: 'I wish that tree wasn't shading my plot so much...' Consult the committee before planning any significant tree work. Removing trees without permission is against our allotment policy.

Cleaning

Clear the shed, clean the shed. Do the same with the greenhouse. A job for winter days when you can't get on the ground. Clean your plant labels - try to re-use instead of just buying new.

Composting

Is one of the most valuable things you can do for your plot. Home made compost is far better and more ecologically friendly than using animal manure to feed and regenerate your soil. It's almost free to get into and just demands some time. If you compost the Belgian way - regularly turning your compost - it's a great workout too - no need for a gym subscription!

Composting the Belgian way. This involves using open bins (with pallet wood sides) which are regularly turned by fork, say every week or every two weeks through the fallow season. Even starting in the New Year, means you can have 'black gold' by Easter. You mix shredded green waste from your plot but you can add 'brown' waste: shredded paper and cardboard, and strimmed autumn leaves.

The Maintenance Team have several plastic compost bins in the recycle plot, available for a nominal donation. Get two and you can turn one into the other over the winter.

Repairing and making

Sort out net frames, fallen fences, wonky paths. In short all the jobs you can't get around to in the summer, because you are busy growing! If you are DIY minded (or maybe your neighbour is) think about things you could make, instead of buying them; aforementioned net frames, cold frames, even a self built shed if you have access to scrap wood - old household (interior doors etc.).

Recycle

This links to repairing and making, but maybe on a smaller scale. There are so many household things you can put to good use on the plot:

Yoghurt pots: I'm a fan of Yeo Valley pots (other brands are available), why? Because when you strip off the cardboard wrapper (easy), you are left with a nice clear pot that you can use to separate out your plant labels (writing the plant type on the side in permanent marker). Use them inverted as well on the top of canes to make temporary net coverings.

Spray bottles: So many products come in them and cleaned out they can be used for small plant sprayers. If I have to use weedkiller (on bindweed for example) they make good 'target sprayers' which can be used carefully around crops. You can make your own 'eco sprays' too, using white vinegar, highly diluted washing up liquid (good against black fly) and Epsom salts (stops your tomato leave yellowing prematurely).

Plastic drinks bottles: The one litre sizes can be used as 'slow watering' cans; cut the bottoms off, leave the screw tops on and make the smallest hole you can in them. Invert them, tie them to short canes (a good use for broken cane pieces) and fill them with water. There are two advantages to these; first, the 'slow watering' means better absorbsion into the soil (instead of 'flooding' it) and second, you can be sure of using a fixed amount of water (a litre per plant is more than enough) instead of wasting it.

Set up water butts

If you have a shed (or two) it's criminal not to use them as free water collectors. Again, The Maintenance Team have water butts and blue containers available (all you need is a tap (@£5) and some guttering and you are sorted. Rain water is the best water for plants and having handy water on the plot early in the growing season is really beneficial. You are helping to keep the allotments' water bill down too...