Gardener's Calendar - January
Things to do in...
Nature has undoubtedly mastered the art of winter gardening and even the most experienced gardener can learn from the unrestrained beauty around them. ~Vincent A Simeone~
January brings us the coldest and shortest days of the year. It will be very difficult looking out of the window to be excited by your garden but even amongst all the cold and wet nature is soldiering on and preparing to burst into beauty. Use this time to plan ahead for the spring to come, checking out books, catalogues and garden centres for inspiration. There are a few jobs that can be done now, so welcome the New Year with a month of preparation.
Flower Borders
In this month there is again very little to do. Really it is just a case of keeping the garden, and particularly the borders, free of weeds and debris, ready for spring mulching. Check that any half hardy perennials in the garden are still protected with fleece, straw or cloches. It’s very important to check these on a regular basis, particularly after storms.
It’s a very good time of year to prune and tidy over grown deciduous shrubs. Always try and prune to an outward facing bud and remove any diseased or cankerous wood.
As long as the ground allows, that is, not to soggy or frozen, it is a good time of year to plant deciduous hedgerows and trees. You can also use the opportunity to transplant some existing ones. Roses can also be planted now but avoid re-planting where roses have already been. Check frequently that storms do not loosen your planting.
Hellebores that are flowering should have their old leaves removed now to prevent Hellebore leaf spot.
Vegetable and Fruit Gardens
January is the month to really start on preparation for the months ahead. Try and get vegetable plots dug over roughly now, in the hope that frosts will break the soil down and allow a workable tilth when it comes to sowing. Some thought should be given to crop rotation in the vegetable plot, so try not to grow the same crops in the same place every year.
Divide the vegetable plot into equal sections of four or more, decide which crops to grow, then group them, first following plant family (linked to pests and diseases), then soil requirements and soil benefits. To rotate the beds as described below, move each bed back one space so that legumes moves into the brassica bay and brassica moves to umbellifers, for example.
Year one: as below.
Year two: legumes, onions, potato family, umbellifers, brassicas.
Year three: onions, potato family, umbellifers, brassicas, legumes.
Year four: potato family, umbellifers, brassicas, legumes, onions.
Year five: umbellifers, brassicas, legumes, onions, potato family.
Family |
Plants |
Soil Requirements |
Soil Benefits |
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Brassicas |
Cabbage Cauliflower Radish Swede |
Leafy crops need nitrogen-rich soil; may need liming |
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Legumes |
Pea Bean |
Well-drained but moisture retentive; not nitrogen-rich |
Fix atmospheric nitrogen in roots for future crops |
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Onions |
Onion Garlic Shallot Leek |
High organic matter; may need liming |
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Potato Family |
Potato Tomato |
High organic matter and nitrogen (potato); no lime |
Suppress weeds, break up soil structure |
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Umbellifers |
Carrot Parsnip Parsley Celery Florence Fennel |
Root crops need stone-free soil; not freshly manured; fine tilth |
Root crops break up soil structure |
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Some seeds can be sown now under protection, a good place is a window sill. Once germinated these can be transplanted and placed in a greenhouse ready to be planted out in March.
Seed potatoes should be sourced now, so you are ready to start chitting in February.
It’s a good idea to try and put cloches or polythene over part of your vegetable plot in an attempt to warm the soil up, ready for your first salad crop sowings.
Rhubarb can be forced now, place a large bucket or forcing jar over the crown so that the darkness can force the young pink shoots, cover also with manure and straw to generate some warmth to speed up the process.
All fruit trees and soft fruit bushes should have been pruned by now and you can continue to plant fruit in January, as long as the ground is not too frozen or wet.
Lawns
Continue to remove fallen leaves from the lawn as they block out light and moisture to the grass. Grass will continue to grow at temperatures above 5°C, so you may have to give a high cut if the weather remains mild. Use this month to re-cut the edges of the lawn, this will save a job in spring and smartens the appearance of the garden. Remove worm casts with a stiff brush as these can become troublesome in later months and keep an eye on mole hills in January and February, removing larger ones and firming ready for over seeding in the spring. Finally on frosty mornings avoid walking on the lawn. The pressure often damages the grass and can leave brown footprints across the garden.
Patio and Greenhouse Gardening
Reduce the watering in the greenhouse and conservatory to a minimum now. All shading should be down and fleece and bubble wrap in place. Check heaters in the greenhouse are functioning properly in preparation for those early bedding plants. You really need to be able to maintain an average temperature of 10 degrees.
General Tasks
Weed borders; perennial weeds are at their most vulnerable now and very susceptible to weed killers. Pruning on deciduous shrubs can still be done now. Good housekeeping will pay dividends next year. Keep a watchful eye out for fungal infections such as black spot and botrytis, treat with a systemic fungicide. You can continue to plant as long as the ground is frost free. Make sure you have protected all vulnerable plants and remember to put a small air hole in frozen ponds. Continue to take special care of the birds and wildlife in your garden. We have an excellent range of feed and feeders at Redfields.
Plants of the Month
A selection of plants that are especially interesting this month.
Fruit trees and bushes
Galanthus Nivalis (Snowdrops)
Primula
Roses
Narcissus
Sarracoccoca
Hammamellis
Helleborus
If you’re looking for ideas or some inspiration, visit Redfields where our staff can help you with all of the above and MUCH MORE.
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Opening Times
Monday to Saturday
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Address
Ewshot Lane
Telephone
Tel: 01252 624444 |
