Garden Planning, Tips and Planting Advice

Gardening Tips: January Lawn Care

Ensure that you have cleared leaves from the lawn using a good rake or vac blower . This is important, as a carpet of leaves can smother grass.

Check the condition of your lawn mower and consider getting it serviced ready for the new season.

Gardening Tips: January Pruning

Prune deciduous trees using secateurs, pruners and loppers or a saw for thicker branches. Pruning helps to encourage a good shape and healthy new growth. If you have a very large tree that needs attention, you may need to consider calling in a qualified tree surgeon.

If you have large amounts of waste material from pruning each year, you may want to consider purchasing a garden shredder to assist with waste disposal.

Container pots and patio plants

If you have delicate plants in container pots on your patio or elsewhere in your garden, you must protect them from frost. If you have room, bring pots indoors. If you do not have room, insulate them with a layer of bubble wrap or Hessian.

Gardening Tips: January Preparing Beds

Prepare vegetable patches ready for planting later in the year. Clear away the remains of dead crops, dig over and fork in manure or fertilizer. Apart from the usual spade and fork, you may need to consider using a rotavator.

Plant or transplant

To plant, the type of equipment you will need includes:

• Trowel
• Shovel or Garden Spade
• Garden Forks
• Rake
• Watering can or hose

When planting or transplanting, use compost from your composter bin, manure or purchase compost. Once you have dug a hole big enough for the plant, add 2-3in of compost or manure into the hole to feed the plant. Fill the hole with water, preferably from your water butt and let the water sink in. Place the plant in the hole and water again. Fill in the hole with soil to the top of the root ball and water again.

In January you can plant or transplant the following types of plants provided the weather and soil permits:

• Trees
• Shrubs
• Bushes (including fruit bushes)
• Roses

If you receive ordered plants from a nursery and the ground is not suitable for planting, you can keep the plants in bundles for a couple of days. However, after that they should be taken out of their bundles and 'heeled-in'. Heeling in consists of placing plants in a soil filled trench until they can be moved to their permanent position in the spring.