January

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Mid Winter January is a new beginning, we’re after the winter solstice, the previous year has been laid to rest, the stores are still full, the pruning (hopefully) completed, and the short days are growing longer again…

OUTDOORS

On clear bright days make a health and hygiene check and examine each and every plant in your care for damage and dieback, coral spot, scale insects, over-wintering eggs Do pruning work missed earlier but do not touch stone fruits or evergreens unless damaged by winter storms When ground is workable plant out hardy trees and shrubs that missed autumn planting After hard frosts re-firm roots of earlier plantings as frost loosens soil Stick canes around valuable plants and emerging bulbs so you see where not to stand in case of snow Spread lime on turf as long as it’s not of very fine acid loving grass or if you have any lime haters growing nearby Use a daisy grubber to rid turf of over-wintering rosette weeds such as plantains and thistles Rake bare soil, mulches and gravel to prevent them panning Coldest weather usually comes next month, so double check outside taps, pipes, gutters and drains Spread sharp sand on mossy/algae/weed infested stepping stones and paving so they wear clean, and are less slippery.

FRUIT-CAGE & ORCHARD

If deep snow comes wrap old clothes or wire netting around fruit tree trunks to stop rabbits chewing the bark Knock heavy snow offfruit cage roof, valuable plants and anything bending under the weight If heavy snows come protect plum and gooseberry buds from bullfinches with bird scarers Cover outdoor peach and nectarines with plastic sheet as if kept dry over these months they do not suffer leaf curl Check straps and tree ties are neither tight nor slack and stakes solid Set or re-touch anti- crawling-pest sticky bands around tree trunks Cut to ground all canes of autumn fruiting raspberries On a bright sunny day take a long cane and knock any mummified fruits off trees as this considerably reduces rots later On a bright day look for huge Big Buds (round and several times bigger than healthy pointed buds) on blackcurrants, remove and burn stems with these Scrape loose bark off old grapevines after they’ve been pruned to remove hidden pests Spread garden compost around fruit trees and bushes in a thick doughnut shaped ring so it will break down and weather in slowly

VEGETABLE PLOT

Spread lime on vegetable beds, ideally in the rotation before the brassicas or legumes and long before the potatoes return Start digging in ryegrass and tougher green manures so they will have died, broken down and incorporated by the time you want to sow and plant Or Cover them with opaque geo-textile, the grreen manure will die and be incorporated by the time the beds are needed Rake the asparagus bed then sprinkle finely powdered charcoal, soot or fine potting compost (take care not to breathe these in) todarken and warm the soil and give an earlier crop Likewise darken soil around garlic, seakale and rhubarb Go on a slug and snail hunt turning over their hibernating haunts

WILDLIFE & Stock

Clean out bird boxes so they’re parasite free, and put up some more Put out food daily and clean and refill water in bird baths Hens will soon start to lay so prepare nest boxes with clean straw Put out ratbait, mousebait and traps, yes, yes, I know, but do it! Make sure there’s a breathing hole in pond ice, float a ball which will bob

ORDER & BUY

Make sure your seed orders go in NOW asap if not done already! Not too late to order more trees, soft fruit, shrubs, roses and herbaceous plants for immediate planting when they arrive Buy a couple more water butts now before the last winter rains come Right now is good time to buy hens- they’ll settle down quickly as they’re about to come into lay If you haven’t an asparagus bed order crowns now for planting in a month or so time, in the meantime dig, enrich and prepare site ready

UNDER COVER

Tidy up the garden shed, go on, you know it needs it Check through your stores throwing out rotters before they multiply Sort your seeds into batches by sowing dates and discard really old packets Keep all seeds in sealed box or jar, or better still a dead fridge Make bird boxes, slug pubs, insect traps, hibernation quarters and plastic bottle cloches Start collecting dead cds and dvds to make bird scarers later in year Treat yourself to a file or carborundum stone, or even better a grinding attachment for an electric drill, then sharpen your hoe and other tools Paint your post code in bold letters with bright paint on any new and valuable tools. Glue plastic bottle caps onto the top of garden canes then you will push them in more easily, these’ll keep the water out so they’ll last longer and you’ll be less likely to impale yourself When did you last lubricate your garden gate and shed door catches and hinges, the wheel on your barrow and those on the mower - they all work easier if you do Clean and repair the mower so it will be ready to roll!

GREENHOUSE

Give your greenhouse, cold-frame and cloche glass another good clean Use only warm tap water for plants and early sowings to prevent disease Bring bags of sowing compost into warm room to preheat before use Remove pest infested strings and canes and replace with new Sow onion and leek seed in small pots or trays in warmth Sow pak-choi, loose leaf lettuce, spring onions and rocket densely in pots or trays of compost to be cut as salad leaves Sow pots of sweet peas and Night Scented stocks for indoor flowering It’s a tad too early but go on sow some Sub-Arctic Plenty tomato seed in warmth It’s not too early to sow indoor all female disease resisting mini cucumbers in warmth and light- they’ll probably crop by Easter! Start onion, garlic and shallot sets in multi celled trays then later with root-balls they can be more securely planted out and will stay put Plant extra early potato sets in big pots or tubs for crops by Easter Chit your early seed potatoes (sets) - stand them rose (lots of eyes) end up in a cool light place, greenhouse will do if covered with a ‘duvet’ at night Check chitting potato shoots for aphids and mealy bugs as these sneak in Pot up a washed sweet potato in moist gritty compost in warmth to force shoots for this year’s plants Trap slugs, woodlice and other active pests in hollowed out roots, potatoes or under bits of old wood