January

On cold and wet days you can go over your plans for the new season. If you are growing vegetables, make sure you rotate crops, as growing the same thing in the same place can lead to a build up of pests and diseases. There^Iare still jobs to be done in the garden when the weather allows, not to forget any plants there may be around the house or in a greenhouse.

Click on any picture or text link for more information

Carry out the final pruning of wisteria by cutting back last season’s new shoots to two or three buds, whether or not they were shortened in the summer.

Prune winter flowering jasmine as soon as the flowers have faded. This will give time for strong new shoots to develop which will bear next winter’s flowers.

The second half of January is not too early to start sowing tomatoes, aubergines and peppers in a heated greenhouse, conservatory or on a window sill, as they
need a long growing period.

You can start forcing established rhubarb crowns by covering them with straw and then a forcing pot or

upturned tall bucket to exclude the light.
Make sure you keep out slugs and snails.

Sweet peas and broad beans can be sown in pots under cover. Starting them off in this way avoids the risk of directly sown seeds being eaten and will allow plants to be set out later at the right density, avoiding gaps.

Choose a dry, calm day not threatened by frost to spray winter washes on fruit trees and bushes.

Check light levels are sufficient for your houseplants. They need light to carry on over the winter and are best moved closer to windows until March.
Don’t leave them on windowsills behind curtains on frosty nights, especially if your windows are not double glazed.

Inspect stored fruits and remove any rotting ones.
Likewise, inspect stored dahlia, begonia and canna tubers for signs of rot or drying out – remove anything that is rotting and moisten dry compost.