Although January is often the coldest month of the year, it’s a great time to get outside again. It may be the middle of winter, but as the days get longer, the garden begins to grow again. The RHS has shared a variety of different jobs gardeners should be tackling this month.
They explained: “Now is a good time to start planning for the coming gardening year and to order seeds and plants. On dry, sunny days, enjoy the fresh air and check that winter protection, stakes, anchorages and supports are still working after every storm.
“Also, put out bird feed and leave some yard areas uncut a little longer to provide shelter for wildlife in your yard.”
One of the most important tasks this month is pruning apple and pear trees, cleaning pots and greenhouses for the spring.
Although pruning a tree like an apple or pear tree may seem daunting, it’s fairly easy to prune the tree back into a well-formed, productive tree.
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The RHS said: “The aim is to take off between 10 and 20 per cent of the total canopy each winter. Work evenly around the tree and keep an eye on your cut stack – if it looks a little big, stop. You can always go back next year and do more.
“The more you cut back, the stronger the regrowth. If you’ve pruned too much, your tree will likely grow strong, upright branches called water shoots. This is not ideal as they populate the crown.
“Their goal is to take out a bit of old wood each winter to encourage new ones. But most of the fruiting wood should be fairly young – one to four years old, which is the wood that fruits best.
“Also try to create an open center for your tree. This allows more light into the canopy to ripen the shoots and fruit. Improved air movement prevents disease.”
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The experts recommended staggering the cuts throughout the canopy to encourage even growth. Gardeners should also resist the temptation to cut off “big branches” because they are at risk of rot.
As a general rule, the RHS said that you should think twice before pruning into branches larger than 10cm to 12cm in diameter.
They added, “If you need to prune that branch, trace it away from the tree to see if there’s a narrower section, maybe where it forks, and prune there instead.”
While not the most glamorous, cleaning pots, gutters, rain barrels, and greenhouses is one of the most important jobs to do. According to experts, cleaning greenhouses, regardless of the material, greatly improves the growing environment for plants.
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Removing algae, moss, and dirt also lets in more light and helps control disease. How can gardeners clean these important items in their garden?
First, remove plants and dirt from greenhouses and start cleaning the structural parts with disinfectant or detergent. The RHS said: “Glazing material should also be washed inside and out, but with plastic materials test on a small, inconspicuous area first to ensure the cleaning material will not damage the glazing.
“Scrub away any old shadow paint on the outside of the glass from summer and remove any dirt trapped between the panes with a flexible scraper such as a brush. B. a plant label made of plastic.
“Replace broken parts like ventilation controls and draft excluders, and be mindful of dispersal areas and equipment.”
Gardeners can also lay a new lawn or repair depressions and bumps in an existing lawn. To repair stains, make an H-shaped cut in the sod, peel back the grass, and fill in with clay. Then fold the sod over and press firmly, pinching the cut edges together.
The experts added: “Repair lawn edges, particularly around flower and shrub beds, with clippings from other areas of the garden.
“If your lawn is suffering from dieback during the wet, muddy season, consider laying stepping stones through to allow easy access over it without causing damage.”
Sweet peas can also be sown in January and those sown earlier in the fall can be potted now. The RHS also recommended planting lily bulbs in pots and borders during mild periods of the month.
