January Gardening Tips

A very warm welcome to 2024 from the gardening team but crikey what a soggy few weeks it’s been! Far from inviting, the weather certainly does feel like it’s against the gardening community. However, at this time of year, there are still lots of bits and bobs to get done and it’s time to look closely at the structure of your garden and plan for the season ahead. Take care to prune the right plants at the right time and consider maintenance of structures and equipment to ensure longevity.

Without further ado – brace the cold, pull on your woolly hat and wellies and brave the garden!

Make sure that your tender plants are properly protected from the frost. With the wind whipping around, it’s possible that the fleece or protective covering may have moved, leaving parts of the plant exposed to the elements.
Check that your containers are properly watered. In particular, the containers that might be in a rain shadow. The wet weather might deceive you into thinking your outdoor container is getting sufficient water, but if the container is under a porch or at the base of the house under an overhanging eave, this might prevent the rain from reaching the soil. Be sure to keep an eye on this during the winter months when it’s less obvious to think of watering.
Continue to lift and divide herbaceous perennials and plant up, but not when the soil is too wet or frozen.
Hoe weeds in borders and weed burn on gravel paths. The milder weather has given way for some of the braver weeds to rear up, so they need to be dealt with sooner rather than later.
Buy your bare root roses and plant them up. Remember to only plant if your soil isn’t prone to waterlogging or if there is a frost that day. This gives them plenty of time to snuggle down, ready to burst into action when spring arrives. Our Plant Centre has a beautiful selection of bare root roses – pop in to speak to our knowledgeable team.
Send all your gardening equipment in for servicing, ready for the growing season ahead.
Steer clear of waterlogged soil and lawns. Compression will result in anaerobic soils which will affect plant productivity.
Clean down and disinfect your greenhouse. This helps with photosynthesis when you want to start propagating your seeds and cuttings. Disinfecting your greenhouse helps to control the spread of disease in the greenhouse and through your garden.
Clean and disinfect all your pots and propagating equipment if they are stored in your greenhouse. Ensure the greenhouse is free of any leaves, especially if they are diseased. Remember to ventilate your greenhouse to control any evolving or pre-existing fungal issues such as botrytis.
Prune wisteria and continue to prune fruit trees, red and white currents, gooseberries, blackcurrants and your grapevine this month – the sap will start rising soon enough.
If soil conditions allow, plant out your deciduous hedging.
Check your tree ties to ensure they are not broken, rubbing and constricting the bark on the tree. Remember to also check that tree stakes are intact and that they have not snapped in the high winds.
Chit any early potatoes.