January garden jobs, ‘no chance’ I hear you say. Well we may have a decent blanket of snow and ice around different parts of the UK but if you want your plot to be ready come spring, it is a good idea to keep busy with the mundane maintenance that is the bread and butter of the winter gardener.
Here are a few January garden jobs to do before the end of the month:
- Now is the time to prune fruit trees and deciduous trees ready for Spring. Take off any dead branches and thin down the branches on the lower parts of the trees which will block sunlight.
- You should also prune shrubs but don’t prune spring flowering plants because you may be removing the forthcoming flowers.
- Time is running out for those Spring bulbs. If you haven’t planted any daffodils or tulips yet, make that your priority.
- Plan ahead for the following winter by planting winter flowering plants this January so they will have plenty of time to establish strong roots before the end of the year. Winter honeysuckle, winter jasmine and paperwhite narcissus will add a flash of colour to your garden at the end of the year.
- If you are thinking of introducing new hedgerows, trees or bare-rooted shrubs to your garden now is the ideal time to do so. You will also find the plants are cheaper at this time of year.
- The same goes for patio and decking. If you intend to have a patio fitted get it done sooner rather than later. It will be much cheaper and you will be able to enjoy the first rays of spring sunshine in true alfresco style.
- Stop your pond freezing over by placing an old plastic bottle on the surface to protect the wildlife that relies on it.
- Houseplants sitting on windowsills need a bit more protection. Wrap a piece if newspaper around the pots to provide that extra bit of insulation.
- Sprinkle pot ash from the fire on your garden but keep it to a minimum because it increases the pH of the soil.
If you found January garden jobs to round off the month helpful and want more content like this, head over to our Gardening channel.
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