On the Plot
January is a busy month for gardeners! Seed potatoes are now available, and it’s the perfect time to chit them before planting. Forcing rhubarb will encourage the growth of tender young stems by spring. You can start sowing broad beans in pots, keeping them in a cold frame, and for early crops, sow lettuces, summer brassicas, spinach, salad onions, and turnips indoors. Clear all remaining plant debris from the vegetable plot and plan a rotation system to ensure crops are not grown in the same beds year after year.
In the Garden
Winter is ideal for pruning apple, pear, quince, and medlar trees, as well as currants, gooseberries, and autumn raspberries. Lily bulbs can be planted in pots and borders during mild spells. Keep an eye on stored tubers like dahlias and cannas to check for signs of drying out. Re-cutting lawn edges will neaten up the garden’s appearance, and if the ground isn’t frozen, you can plant trees and shrubs. Add colour with beautiful plants such as dogwoods, salix, forsythia, and sarcococca.
By the Pond
Keep an eye on the water level in your pond, as hard frosts can cause damage to liners and concrete structures. Placing a tennis ball in the water can help prevent the pond from freezing completely.
Tip: To make a hole in frozen ponds, hold a saucepan of hot water on the surface until it melts through. Avoid cracking the ice, as this can harm fish.
About the House
Move houseplants to a sunny windowsill until March to ensure they receive as much light as possible. Indoor forced bulbs used for Christmas displays can be moved outside to a sheltered spot in the garden to finish dying down once they’ve stopped flowering.
Pick of the Month
Perennials: Primrose
Climbers: Jasminum nudiflorum (Winter Jasmine)
Shrubs: Viburnum Bodnantense ‘Dawn’
Trees: Fagus sylvatica (Beech)
Vegetable: Seed Potatoes
Follow morleynurseries.com for ideas on how to encourage your children to enjoy gardening and Much Much More.
Days to Remember
1st January – Global Family Day
24th–26th January – Big Garden Birdwatch
27th January – National Chocolate Cake Day