Things to do in January
Tuesday, January 15th, 2008
It’s hard to motivate yourself to get outside during this month, never mind dodging the rain for long enough to actually do anything useful.
But have a go and you’ll find you immediately feel better – and there’s a surprising amount you can get done. Here’s our list of seasonal to-dos for January:
- Mulch your borders – shredded prunings (even the Christmas tree), ash, well-rotted leaf mould and manure or home-made compost are all excellent for this task. Your goal at this time of year is to reduce the potential for weeds to spring up the minute the sun comes out – so do a thorough job and make sure the surface is weed-free before you start. You are also aiming to trap moisture in the soil. Spread to a depth of about 5cm/2.5in and rake it smooth once you’ve finished to make the beds look neat.
- Turn over the compost heap – frost is a key factor in helping to break down the kitchen and garden waste you’ve put on there. Getting to work with a fork will help aerate it and encourage the natural processes that help it rot down.
- Dig over your vegetable beds – it may sound daunting, but what better way to fulfil a few of those New Year resolutions and work off the Christmas comestibles? Frost will help to break down the soil and persistent weeds will be growing whatever the season. So it’s time to get the fork out and get everything in good condition for spring planting.
- Move any shrubs which have outgrown their space or are in the wrong place – and take cuttings. For advice on making root cuttings that thrive, read this BBC gardening article on the subject.
- Cut back perennials before that spring growth spurt comes along. Be careful to prune sympathetically, taking back each branch just above a suitable, healthy set of buds in order to promote new growth and get the shape you want. Don’t forget to clear out any dead wood at the bottom or interior of the bush. This is obviously very general advice – for more detailed instructions, read a RHS article on renovating old shrubs here.
- Give your greenhouse an airing – this is a fair-weather job but, after it’s been shut up all winter, it will certainly benefit from a little fresh air and you’ll be glad in spring that you got it ready.
- Clean up the mess – chances are that, while you’ve been hiding inside, your garden’s picked up a detritus of dead leaves, bits of moss, fallen twigs and branches plus plant matter that’s blown in from the surrounding neighbourhood. Clear it all up and chuck the good stuff on the compost heap, to give yourself a bit of encouragement for the work to come. There’s nothing like starting the new year with a clean slate…
Tags: January, Seasonal to-dos