Things To Do In The Garden This Month – January

Things To Do In The Garden This Month – January!

January is dark, cold and miserable – so why not cheer yourself up with some new tools and get in those seed catalogues ready for spring. Here are some ideas for some jobs you can get on with.

Harvest Your Winter Vegetables

There’s not a lot you can plant at this time of year, but you can still harvest much of your winter vegetables. Leeks, parsnips and swedes will be at their best this time of year – if you have extra, why not make some soup? Cabbage and swiss chard should also still be producing good fresh growth – just make sure you cover them with garden netting to protect them from the birds!

Be Prepared For High Winds…

January can often bring gales, so make sure everything on your plot is safely stored away. Also, make sure you check your fruit cage and replace any worn netting or ties to prevent damage. It’s a good idea to check any stakes, fences and sections of trellis as high winds can quickly push them over – damaging your plants.

…Or Even Snow!

In winter replacing the small mesh top net on your fruit cage with our larger mesh G19 netting can help avoid any potential damage caused by a heavy build-up of snow on the cage roof.

Prune Trees And Shrubs

If you can find yourself a dry day, now is the time to prune your trees and shrubs. Make sure you use a sharp pruning saw and good secateurs to get a clean cut as this will help avoid disease. The only exception is stone fruit trees (cherry, plum, damson etc) – you’ll need to summer prune those.

Clean Out Pots And Trays

If you take a look in most potting sheds at this time of year, you’ll see piles of abandoned pots and seed trays. This time of year is a great opportunity to get them cleaned up and put away neatly – plus, washing them will stop help any diseases from last year spreading. Any pots or trays which are damaged should be replaced.

Turn Over Compost

Give your compost a turn to help it rot down quicker – a turnable or tumbling compost bin will make this task a lot easier! Any well rotted compost or leaf mould can be used in a thick layer on your borders to act as a mulch.