January Gardening Tips

Flower Garden

• Cut down flowering perennials to ground level once they have become untidy or been flattened by wind and rain.
• Protect vulnerable plants from frosts.
• Spread mulch around shrubs and over flower borders to protect roots and emerging bulbs and to improve soil condition.
• Cut out diseased branches from trees and shrubs.
• Continue to plant container grown and bare-rooted plants when soil is not frozen or waterlogged.

Kitchen Garden

• Complete pruning of Apples and Pears.
• Check stored crops, any showing signs of rot must be removed.
• Sow onion seeds indoors for best results later.
• Put a black bin/bucket over a rhubarb crown to force an early crop.
• Cut canes of autumn fruiting raspberries to ground level.
• Continue winter digging and the addition of organic matter.
• Continue to plant soft fruit and fruit trees.

Greenhouse

• Check the condition of insulation, block any draughts.
• Reduce watering to a minimum and ventilate on warmer days.
• Check and treat diseased plants immediately to reduce the spread of disease.
• Remove dead foliage from plants.

General Advice

• Wash and sterilise old pots and seed trays ready for use this season.
• Clean and oil garden tools to prevent rusting.
• Ensure outdoor pots are raised off the ground and not stood in water.
• Encourage birds to the garden by supplying food, water and shelter.
• Check, repair, paint/treat fences, trellis, arbours on dry days.