January – A new month, a new year!
January in the garden is mostly about keeping things tidy and preparing for the year ahead.
Other top jobs for the month include…
In the fruit & veg garden
Make sure to prune your gooseberries
This encourages new growth ready for the spring!
Force rhubarb plants to produce earlier crops
Place a terracotta forcer pot or an upturned pot or bucket over the crown.
Prepare your veg plots
Clear old crops and weeds from the veg plot, then dig over the soil, mixing in compost as you go.
In the flower garden
Keep deadheading winter flowering pansies
This prevents them from going to seed.
Cut back ornamental grasses
It is ideal to keep them within a few centimeters of the ground.
Prune rose bushes
Make sure to cut back just above the bud and remove any dead stems.
In and around the garden
Maintain your guttering
Remove debris from shed and greenhouse guttering, so winter rain can fill up your water butts
Ensure your bird feeders are kept clean
Scrub and clean out bird feeders regularly to maintain hygiene. Replace any broken or old feeders with new ones.
Keep your climbers neat and tidy
Trim back any ivy, Virginia creeper and other climbers that need tidying before birds start nesting