Garden Maintenance: JANUARY
Now is a good time to do landscaping projects so that you can enjoy the benefits next spring. Now you can see your garden in its bare bones - what would you like to change? Add a compost bin, water butt, new shed, decking, gravel, raised flower bed? Doing these jobs now will give your garden time to recover to its full glory in the spring.
Top gardening jobs for January
1. Dig over soil on vegetable/flower beds if not already done - this will
improve the soil.
2. Check the tubers of Dahlia, Begonia and Canna you
stored last year for rots or drying out.
3. Prune apple and pear trees.
4. Don't let the grass get too long - if it is dry give it a trim but don't
cut it as short as you would in the summer.
5. Plant new trees and shrubs
or move old ones if necessary.
6. Do any landscaping now while everything
is already muddy!
7. Cut back ornamental vines, ivy, Virginia creeper and
Boston ivy.
8. Pressure wash paths if they are slippery - but make sure
the water doesn't freeze and become a slip hazard!
Trees, shrubs and hedges
Its best to prune evergreens in the spring when there is less chance of
frost.
- Its still okay to plant, move (provided the ground is not frozen
or water logged) and hard-prune/renovate deciduous trees and hedges.
-
Its okay to plant roses but don't plant them where roses have been planted
previously as this can lead to replant disease.
- Propagate ornamental
shrubs such as Cornus, Salix, Forsythia, Weigela, Escallonia, Rosa, Ribes,
Chaenomeles and Elaeagnus by taking hardwood cuttings. You can also take
cuttings of deciduous (leaves fall off in winter) climbers such as Fallopia
and Lonicera. Do a Google image search if you are not sure what they look
like.
- Cut back ornamental vines, ivy, Virginia creeper and Boston ivy.
- Prune Wisteria by cutting back the side shoots to two or three buds being
careful to avoid cutting off flower buds.
Lawn Care
You probably wont need to cut the grass but don't let it get too long.
TIP: You can repair hollows and bumps in the lawn during mild spells by cutting an 'H' shape in the turf, peeling back the grass, and either filling with top soil or scraping away the soil if you have a bump.
- Avoid walking on frosty grass; you will leave brown patches of dead
grass.
- Mole activity will increase in January and February due to
mating and building of nests.
Pond Care
- Remove leaves from the pond.
- Don't crack the ice but let a
saucepan of hot water melt a hole instead.
- Check water levels regularly
to make sure that you have no leaks.
- Pond specialists may be
selling-off last years stock cheaper - now might be a good time to look for
pond pumps etc.
Landscaping
- Have you drained or protected out door water pipes from freezing cold?
- Stop paths becoming slippery by removing algae - you may need to buy a
herbicide.
- If the weather is dry you can still paint a wood preserver
on fences, outdoor furniture and sheds etc. Now that you can see the garden
in its bare bones, now is a good time to consider some landscaping changes
such as installing garden lighting, repair broken fixtures (pergolas etc),
laying stepping stones and soft landscaping - maybe simplifying your garden
with some decorative gravel, removing trouble plants etc.
Flowers
- Clear weeds from borders ready for mulching in the spring.
- Plant
lily bulbs.
- Check the tubers of plants such as Dahlia and Canna you
have stored for signs of drying out. You need to check for signs of dampness
causing rotting (remove any that are rotting) but too dry and they will be
useless.
- Also, check any bulbs for signs of rot and remove dead bulbs
before it spreads.
Greenhouse and house plants
- You don't need to water your house-plants so much over the winter.
-
Cut back Hypoestes (polka dot plant), Pilea (aluminium plant) if they look
leggy to encourage new growth.
- Bring Hippeastrum (amaryllis) bulbs into
active growth by regularly watering and feeding them. They should flower in
late winter/early spring.
- Clear any leaves and twigs from guttering to
avoid blockages forming.
