Now that Christmas is out of the way and the days are getting ever so slightly longer, we gardeners are turning our thoughts to the year ahead
My main priority is to plan ahead, order seeds and get the tidy up jobs done while the garden is still sleeping!
First on my list is to prune my fruit trees. If you are need of some guidance on this the RHS has some great advice pages. See https://www.rhs.org.uk/fruit/apples/winter-pruning. The trees are currently dormant and it is important to finish the job before the trees start budding. It is a chilly job, though, so I often prune after a brisk dog walk.
I have recently planted my ranunculus in the greenhouse. I had started the claws in shallow compost trays and they had very healthy roots and green shoots. I am looking forward to a good crop, all being well
Now is a good time to prune back climbers. You can see the bones of the plant and cut back according to the shape you want within the space. Prune back to strong growth but most importantly remove the 3 D’s – dead, diseased and damaged stems. Now is a great time to visit gardens to see how the professionals do it. Roses flower best when the stems are horizontal so train the stems this way when tying them in. It is important to prune annually so a climber doesn’t become too leggy with no foliage or flowers lower down.
This month’s to-do list:
- Finish planting any remaining bulbs – particularly pots
- Order seeds for the year ahead
- Plan your calendar for sowing
- Plan any changes to beds and borders
- Order and plant bare rooted trees and shrubs – you have until the end of February all being well!
- Rid borders of perennial weeds
- Turn the compost heap
- Prune fruit trees
- Cut back Autumn fruiting raspberries at the base
- Tidy the greenhouse to maintain hygiene and ensure you’re ready to start the growing season on time.
- Cut back any hellebore leaves obscuring the flowers.
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