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January

by Tom Petherick

If you get some good weather in January it is the best month to be getting on with whatever pruning needs to be done in the garden.

Fruit trees such as apples and pears may be done this month but all those of the genus Prunus should be left until the weather warms up in the spring. The dreaded fungus silver leaf can catch the plums and cherries if you do them in the winter months and it can kill entire trees.

Here are some important tasks to do at this time of year. Some you may have done already but it''s not too late to catch up with them now.

Roses

Roses also like a January prune. Climbers, hybrid T''s, shrubs. Its all the same to them and they will benefit. Electric hedge clippers have become popular for the task but it will leave frayed edges to the shoots which will lead to die back and you will have to use the secateurs to nip the ends off anyway so secateurs are the best option from the outset.

Beds and borders

Try and stay off the vegetable beds if possible, trampling around on wet soil only causes compaction and damage generally. However, do try and order in some well rotted manure as there will be a big demand for it as spring moves on. Equally stay off the lawn. It may look like it needs a cut but it is best left until at least the back end of next month.

Glasshouse

Try and give the glasshouse and any covered areas where plants are growing a good winter clean out. Open all the vents on a dry day and wash the glass down with an ecological detergent. Keep a close eye out for pests such as mealy bug and aphid and make sure the temperature does not creep up too high in conservatories or sun rooms.

Plants that have flowered indoors such as orchids, jasmine and Christmas cactus can be roughed off now in a cool glasshouse. Stop feeding regimes for these and stop watering too, they can be put outside when the weather warms up after Easter when the worst of the frost is over.

Many thanks to Dancing Bee.