January Jobs

Plan the garden for the year ahead

Now is the perfect opportunity to check for gaps in the borders. Evergreens provide structure all year round and give winter interest. Consider leaf- shape and shine and those plants with berries such as Danae racemosa and Viburnum cinnamomifolium. These not only give colour but also food for wildlife.

Now is the perfect time for planting deciduous trees. Have you noticed any changes this winter? Keeping a record of changes such as early flowering and unseasonable weather conditions can help plan for the year ahead. Finish those tidying up jobs that you may not have completed before Christmas. However, consider wildlife habitats in your garden; it is possible to be too tidy.

 It is not too late to plant bare root roses such as Rosa chinensis ‘Mutabilis.’ Sprinkle wood ash around the bases of fruit trees and roses. Potash is rich in potassium and lime, which encourages good blossom production. The carbonates and oxides in the ash raises the pH and helps neutralise the soil.  You can spot potash deficiency in fruit bushes by yellowing/browning edges to the leaves.

If this is a year for coppicing your hazel (this should be carried out every 3 years), store the stems upside down to harden-off, ready to be used as home-made plant supports in summer.

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