JANUARY
This is the month to PROTECT plants, animals and garden structures from damage by wind, rain, frost and snow.
For wildlife, provide food and water.
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR JANUARY:
PATIOS & BORDERS
Check pansies and primulas for greenfly.
Cut the side branches off your old Christmas tree and use these to cover tender plants in the garden.
Remove any blotched leaves from Christmas and Lenten Roses (Hellebores) to prevent this disease spreading to the new leaves.
Fork your borders over between established plants but keep off if the soil is wet. Fork in a good base fertilizer and mulch to keep the weeds down.
TREES & SHRUBS
Apply a general fertiliser to all borders.
Gather up and burn diseased leaves from under roses and fruit and then mulch.
Check tree ties and stakes.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Plant when the weather is mild and when the soil is not wet, sticky or frozen hard.
Improve the planting area with well-rotted compost or manure.
BULBS
Buy pots of snowdrops that are now coming into flower. They establish much easier when transplanted in active growth.
Plant pots of Iris reticulata that will flower soon too.
Established bulb shoots will be showing above ground now and are very tough so will not need protecting.
Daffodils in pots outside will suffer if the pot is not protected from wind driven frosts so move them to more a more sheltered spot.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Buy seed potatoes and set them up to shoot [‘chitting’].
Delay planting onion sets until warmer.
Cover a piece of cultivated ground with polythene to trap the weak winter sun’s warmth so that early sowings of carrots, parsnips, peas and other vegetables can be made.
Dig garden lime into areas where you are planning to grow cabbages, sprouts, etc. This will help combat club root disease. Aim for pH of 7.5.
FRUIT GARDEN
Plant fruit trees, bushes, canes and rhubarb.
Prune apples and pear trees but not if they are fan, cordon or espalier trained as these should be done in summer.
Also prune grapevines, currants and berries.
Cover established rhubarb crowns with manure and a rhubarb forcing pot (or old chimney).
Cover strawberries with cloches to begin to force an early crop.
Keep a look out for pigeon damage during cold periods and net your crops.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Lawn mowing may continue if the grass is not frozen.
New hedges should be planted now, especially those we sell as bareroot plants like beech, yew and box.
Clean slippery paths.
Brush worm casts off the lawn as they appear.
THE GREENHOUSE
Regularly remove dead and dying leaves and flowers from plants in the greenhouse to prevent mould.
Sow begonia, lobelia, salvia and pelargonium in a heated greenhouse or propagator.
There is still time to take root cuttings of phlox, verbascum and Oriental poppies.
Regular ventilation on warm days will help to avoid this too.
Look out for greenfly as they often appear inside this month.
Wash the glass down to allow maximum amount of light to enter and to remove pests such as red spider mite and their eggs.
Move potted strawberries inside to begin forcing them for really early crops.
INDOOR PLANTS
Mist over the tops of houseplants regularly especially if they are in a room with central heating.
Clean houseplant leaves with ‘leaf shine’.
Group plants together and feed monthly.
Water carefully; it is better to let plants dry out between waterings and then give a thorough soak than a small amount regularly.
Keep citrus cool unless they are actively growing.
Keep deadheading cyclamen, African violets, Christmas cacti and azaleas to encourage more flowers to open and keep
Cyclamen and Azaleas as cool as possible for prolonged flowering.
When the days and nights are very cold, move plants away from cold windowsills into a warmer place.
SOIL, MULCHING, WEEDING
Check your soil pH. For most plants adding garden lime to the soil will give better results if the soil is acid.
For lime-hating plants it may be necessary to add sulphur chips to make the soil more acid.
Pull out weeds that germinated in autumn.
Apply bark mulch to areas between plants that are free of weeds and now fully moistened by winter rain.
Gather and remove hibernating snails from under low lying plants and flat stones.
PONDS
Stop the whole surface of ponds freezing over by floating a ball on the surface - never smash the ice if there are fish in the water !
Remove any fallen leaves.
WILDLIFE
Plant shrubs and trees that will provide food and shelter for wildlife in winter.
Rowan, cotoneaster, berberis, amelanchier, crataegus, buddleja, crab apples, pyracantha, ivy and hollies are good examples.
Continue to feed the birds and provide fresh water.
THIS MONTH’S GENERAL CHORES
For wildlife, provide food and water.
CHECKLIST OF KEY TASKS FOR JANUARY:
- Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch.
- Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days.
- Repair and re-shape lawn edges.
- Dig over any plots that have not been dug already.
- Inspect stored tubers of Dahlia and Begonia for rot or drying out.
- Prune apple and pear trees.
- Start forcing rhubarb.
- Prepare a polythene/bubble wrap shelter for outdoor tender plants and fruit trees such as peaches and nectarines (to protect from peach leaf curl).
- Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season.
- Keep putting out food and water for the birds.
PATIOS & BORDERS
Check pansies and primulas for greenfly.
Cut the side branches off your old Christmas tree and use these to cover tender plants in the garden.
Remove any blotched leaves from Christmas and Lenten Roses (Hellebores) to prevent this disease spreading to the new leaves.
Fork your borders over between established plants but keep off if the soil is wet. Fork in a good base fertilizer and mulch to keep the weeds down.
TREES & SHRUBS
Apply a general fertiliser to all borders.
Gather up and burn diseased leaves from under roses and fruit and then mulch.
Check tree ties and stakes.
PLANTING & PRUNING
Plant when the weather is mild and when the soil is not wet, sticky or frozen hard.
Improve the planting area with well-rotted compost or manure.
BULBS
Buy pots of snowdrops that are now coming into flower. They establish much easier when transplanted in active growth.
Plant pots of Iris reticulata that will flower soon too.
Established bulb shoots will be showing above ground now and are very tough so will not need protecting.
Daffodils in pots outside will suffer if the pot is not protected from wind driven frosts so move them to more a more sheltered spot.
VEGETABLE GARDEN
Buy seed potatoes and set them up to shoot [‘chitting’].
Delay planting onion sets until warmer.
Cover a piece of cultivated ground with polythene to trap the weak winter sun’s warmth so that early sowings of carrots, parsnips, peas and other vegetables can be made.
Dig garden lime into areas where you are planning to grow cabbages, sprouts, etc. This will help combat club root disease. Aim for pH of 7.5.
FRUIT GARDEN
Plant fruit trees, bushes, canes and rhubarb.
Prune apples and pear trees but not if they are fan, cordon or espalier trained as these should be done in summer.
Also prune grapevines, currants and berries.
Cover established rhubarb crowns with manure and a rhubarb forcing pot (or old chimney).
Cover strawberries with cloches to begin to force an early crop.
Keep a look out for pigeon damage during cold periods and net your crops.
LAWNS, HEDGES & PATHS
Lawn mowing may continue if the grass is not frozen.
New hedges should be planted now, especially those we sell as bareroot plants like beech, yew and box.
Clean slippery paths.
Brush worm casts off the lawn as they appear.
THE GREENHOUSE
Regularly remove dead and dying leaves and flowers from plants in the greenhouse to prevent mould.
Sow begonia, lobelia, salvia and pelargonium in a heated greenhouse or propagator.
There is still time to take root cuttings of phlox, verbascum and Oriental poppies.
Regular ventilation on warm days will help to avoid this too.
Look out for greenfly as they often appear inside this month.
Wash the glass down to allow maximum amount of light to enter and to remove pests such as red spider mite and their eggs.
Move potted strawberries inside to begin forcing them for really early crops.
INDOOR PLANTS
Mist over the tops of houseplants regularly especially if they are in a room with central heating.
Clean houseplant leaves with ‘leaf shine’.
Group plants together and feed monthly.
Water carefully; it is better to let plants dry out between waterings and then give a thorough soak than a small amount regularly.
Keep citrus cool unless they are actively growing.
Keep deadheading cyclamen, African violets, Christmas cacti and azaleas to encourage more flowers to open and keep
Cyclamen and Azaleas as cool as possible for prolonged flowering.
When the days and nights are very cold, move plants away from cold windowsills into a warmer place.
SOIL, MULCHING, WEEDING
Check your soil pH. For most plants adding garden lime to the soil will give better results if the soil is acid.
For lime-hating plants it may be necessary to add sulphur chips to make the soil more acid.
Pull out weeds that germinated in autumn.
Apply bark mulch to areas between plants that are free of weeds and now fully moistened by winter rain.
Gather and remove hibernating snails from under low lying plants and flat stones.
PONDS
Stop the whole surface of ponds freezing over by floating a ball on the surface - never smash the ice if there are fish in the water !
Remove any fallen leaves.
WILDLIFE
Plant shrubs and trees that will provide food and shelter for wildlife in winter.
Rowan, cotoneaster, berberis, amelanchier, crataegus, buddleja, crab apples, pyracantha, ivy and hollies are good examples.
Continue to feed the birds and provide fresh water.
THIS MONTH’S GENERAL CHORES
- Clean and disinfect plant trays and pots and burn old bamboo canes to prevent pests.
- Turn and mix your compost heap.
- Cut the branches off your real Christmas tree and use them to protect tender plants from hard weather until spring. Alternatively, put the branches in your local garden green waste disposal scheme.
- Empty water butts and give them a clean.
- Use bubble wrap to lag plant containers against frost and wind damage.