January Gardening Tips
What to do in January
Happy New Year to you all! With unprecedented snowfalls and freezing weather seeing out the old year and more of the same greeting the new, gardening in the great outdoors is more than a little limited for now! Damage prevention, armchair gardening and planning for warmer weather seem like some of the best options at the moment.
But in the meantime, why not visit the centre to pick up some great bargains in our January sale? We have some fantastic special offers, including half price seeds, trees and shrubs to get the New Year off to a flying start!
CHRISTMAS TREES
Recycle, recycle; make the best use of your Christmas tree by shredding it and using it for mulch.
BIRDS
Do remember to put out fresh supplies of water and food for the birds; prolonged periods of harsh weather are a real threat to our feathered friends. Feed them with good quality high energy bird food or fat/suet balls and check that water is not frozen. If you can’t find any bird food, scraps of bacon fat, mild cheese, fruit, breakfast cereal and uncooked oats are all fine. Moistened bread is only an empty filler, but better than nothing.
DAMAGE LIMITATION AND GARDEN MAINTENANCE
Protect vulnerable plants, pots and taps from frost by wrapping insulation around them. Gardening fleece or bubble wrap is ideal and probably in plentiful supply after Christmas! Pots and containers should be raised off the ground if possible. After heavy snowfall, gently shake snow from laden boughs to prevent them breaking under the weight. If you have the chance, pack the branches of tender trees and shrubs with straw and secure with fleece to protect them from the cold; thick dry mulches will also protect roots from freezing conditions.
When the weather allows, carry on clearing paths of moss and lichen, check walls (but avoid concreting until there is no chance of frost), clean and insulate greenhouses (bubble wrap again!) and ensure heaters are working properly. Even a little insulation will make a huge difference to your heating bill.
Clean and repair your garden tools, book the lawn mower in for a service and check garden furniture for any rot. When it is warm enough to brave the elements, treat sheds, fences and trellis with wood preservative; brushes and rollers are fine for most things, however a sprayer is well worth buying for tricky projects such as woven panels!
When soil conditions allow, continue to dig over beds and borders, incorporating as much organic matter as you can. Forking over not only helps prepare the soil for next year, it helps reduce pests by exposing them to hungry birds.
Take care not to let leaves accumulate around alpines – they will die if left damp for long. Cover bare patches around clumps with gritty compost to encourage regrowth.
TREES, SHRUBS, CLIMBERS
Prune woody and ornamental plants, trees and bushes to shape; without leaves it is much easier to see what you are doing! Remove dead, diseased or damaged wood but only where necessary; many plants (acers, birches and vines) ‘bleed’ a huge amount of sap where wounded so keep pruning to a sensible minimum. Prune roses, wisteria and other vigorous climbers such as Virginia creeper, ivies and climbing hydrangeas. Leave evergreens and tender plants until spring.
Check all recently planted trees and shrubs – if they have been lifted by frost, firm them down.
LAWNS
If the weather allows, repair holes, edges and tatty patches in your lawn. If it was waterlogged and then frozen, as most were after the snow of December and early January, avoid walking on it - damage is easily inflicted!
FLOWERS AND CONTAINERS
Sow sweet peas under cover for a cheery glance ahead to springtime!
CONTAINERS
Raise any containers not already on feet or bricks to protect them from the cold and lag them with bubble wrap, hessian or fleece if not frost proof; even hardy plants need protection in really cold weather.
Remove debris regularly to prevent pests from taking up residence and brighten up dull pots and containers with winter pansies and cyclamen. Abandon ship with all those that have been severely frosted in the cold weather; start again with beautiful new plants!
KITCHEN GARDEN
FRUIT TREES AND BUSHES
Prune standard apple and pear trees, red, white and blackcurrants, gooseberries and summer fruiting raspberries. Keep the centre of the tree or shrub fairly open to allow air to circulate freely. Cut out crossing and rubbing branches to avoid open wounds which encourage disease. Do not prune stoned fruit or espalier/cordon trained apples and pears.
Plant new fruit trees and bushes once the soil is neither sodden nor frozen.
Protect fruit trees and gooseberries with netting; birds love developing fruit buds and your entire crop can disappear with astonishing speed unless protected!
Check all ties and stakes to ensure they are not broken or too tight. Check stored fruit and throw out any showing signs of disease.
Come the end of the month, add organic fertiliser to your fruit trees and shrubs; remove any mulch, feed around the roots, water and renew the mulch. Use organic rather than inorganic or chemical fertilisers to provide a slow release of nutrients; a sudden burst of growth too early in the season puts the plant at risk from disease and pests.
Start to force rhubarb; clear away all dead foliage and cover the crown with a forcer if you have one or a large pot if you don’t. To encourage faster growth, cover the forcer with horse manure; the heat will produce even more dramatic results as it rots down!
VEGETABLES
Harvest leeks, Brussels sprouts (from the bottom upwards), carrots, parsnips (after a frost) and winter cabbages.
Sow early crops in seed trays or modules; keep them on a windowsill inside in light and airy conditions.
Start chitting early potatoes – an amazing and encouraging thought, but seed potatoes will be planted in March! Put them in a light and cool place with the end showing the most ‘buds’ uppermost – an old egg box is ideal. Once the shoots start to sprout, pinch out all but two or three and just imagine the flavour of freshly dug new potatoes!
TOP TIP
Plan your vegetable crop rotations for the coming season and buy the seeds at your nearest centre – they are half price!
