January in the garden
January may seem quiet in the garden, but there’s plenty to do that will set you up for success throughout the year. Here are the top 10 tasks to focus on this month:
1. Plan Your Growing Year
January is perfect for garden planning. Browse seed catalogues, sketch layouts, and order seeds early for popular varieties. Consider crop rotation for vegetable plots and plan for succession planting to maximize harvests.
2. Protect Vulnerable Plants
Check fleece, cloches, and greenhouse insulation. Add extra protection during frost warnings, particularly for half-hardy perennials. Move potted plants close to walls or under shelter, and raise containers onto feet to prevent waterlogging.
3. Prune Deciduous Trees and Shrubs
With trees dormant, it’s an ideal time to prune apple and pear trees, wisteria, and deciduous hedges. Remove dead, diseased, or crossing branches to improve airflow and structure. Leave spring-flowering shrubs until after they bloom.
4. Clean and Maintain Tools and Structures
Use the quieter garden period to clean, oil, and sharpen tools. Wash greenhouse glass inside and out to maximize light. Clean pots and seed trays with hot, soapy water to prevent disease spread in spring.
5. Feed Garden Birds
Birds struggle to find natural food in January. Provide high-energy foods like fat balls, sunflower hearts, and nyjer seeds. Keep bird baths unfrozen and clean feeders regularly to prevent disease.
6. Start Early Indoor Sowings
Begin chillies, sweet peppers, and aubergines indoors on a warm windowsill or heated propagator. Start early broad beans and sweet peas in deep modules in an unheated greenhouse or cold frame.
7. Tackle Winter Weeds
Remove perennial weeds while they’re dormant and easier to spot without surrounding plants. Focus on areas where spring bulbs will emerge. Apply mulch afterward to suppress new weed growth.
8. Harvest Winter Vegetables
Continue harvesting winter cabbage, kale, Brussels sprouts, parsnips, and leeks. Many taste better after frost exposure. Cover root vegetables with straw to prevent ground freezing and allow continued harvesting.
9. Improve Your Soil
Add well-rotted manure or compost to vegetable beds. Let winter frosts break down heavy soils naturally. Consider garden lime for acidic soils if needed (but not where you’ll plant potatoes).
10. Create Wildlife Habitats
Install bird and bat boxes before the breeding season. Create log piles for beneficial insects and hedgehogs. Leave some areas of the garden undisturbed as wildlife refuges.
Remember, gardening in January is all about preparation and protection. On milder days, enjoy being outdoors to complete these tasks, but don’t work soil when it’s frozen or waterlogged, as this can damage its structure.