Happy New Year to all Gardeners. As I write this the coldest winter for 50 years predicted by many newspapers has yet to arrive and in fact it has been mild enough to still warrant the need to cut lawns! Eventually Winter will arrive in Suffolk and on those days when you can’t get out in to the garden, then this is an opportunity to have a look at some of those flower and seed catalogues and plan ahead for the year. Spare a thought for the garden birds and try to supply some bird food and fresh water.
Pauls jobs for the month
Flower Garden
• Prune wall climbers such as ivy away from window frames and gutters
• Raise pots of the ground to ensure compost drains freely
• knock snow from branches of evergreen shrubs to prevent branches breaking under the weight
• Prune your Wisteria plant now, cutting back summer side-shoots to 2 or 3 buds.
• Prune rose bushes now whilst they are dormant. Cut back to just above a bud and remove any crossing or dead branches
• Cut back the old foliage from ornamental grasses before growth begins – clip them to within a few inches off the ground.
• Cut down the old stems of perennial plants like Sedum
• Check Dahlia tubers in storage and remove any that are showing signs of rotting.
Vegetable Garden
• Harvest parsnips and leeks.
• Start chitting early potatoes – Perfect for this is an egg box and place in a bright cool frost-free place.
• Grow some Garlic – so easy to do! If you have a spare clove then get them planted asap. Break up the bulbs into the individual cloves and plant about 4 inches apart just below the ground.
Fruit Garden
• Begin pruning your apple trees and pear – this is always best done whilst they are dormant. The exception here are plums and cherries which should be pruned in summer to avoid silver leaf infection
• Prune blackcurrant bushes, gooseberries and redcurrants to maintain a productive framework.
• Try forcing rhubarb plants by placing an upturned bucket over the crown. This will force tender pink stems to grow.
General Garden Maintenance
• Finish collecting leaves and clearing old plants from beds and borders.
• Wrap tender plants in pots with a fleece covering to give them some added protection.
• Get the wheelbarrow out to spread a thick layer of mulch such as horse manure around fruit trees and bushes. Don’t cover the crown of the plants.
• What to do with the old Christmas Tree? Well if you bought a potted or rooted Christmas tree, then plant it outside and hopefully it will survive until next year.
