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What to do in the garden in January.

Have a read of Andrew Tokely's advice for growing carrots from seed for all seasons

With the festive season just around the corner, there are still a few jobs that need attending so we are all ready for the  New Year ahead.
 
1. Carry on with Winter digging of your vegetable plots, I like to try and get this job done by the new year , so the cold frosty winter weather can help break down the soil. I think a tidy winter plot  always looks great and you have the satisfaction that this is a good job done , and once completed you can sit back and relax what ever the weather.
 
2. If the weather is too cold or wet to do any jobs outside, then there are plenty of jobs to do in the warmth of the greenhouse or shed to prepare for next year. A clean of all the sowing equipment is required. Wash pots and seed trays with soapy water, so they are clean and ready for use early next year. Propagators and benches can also be washed down so they are clean from any pests or fungal diseases that may be hiding in those tiny crevices. This will give us all a clean start to the year ahead.
 
3. Remember during very cold weather to look after the birds regularly. Leave our bird feed and top up the birdbath so they have some fresh water to drink. If you encourage the birds into your garden at this time of year, hopefully they will also return next spring to nest and feed on some of the aphids and other pests that can cause us gardener’s problems.
 
4. On Christmas day, I will be busy sowing my Large Onions. Christmas or Boxing Day is the traditional time for sowing this vegetable, plus it will give me a good excuse for getting out of the washing up. I sow the variety Globo, Mammoth or Ailsa Craig, as these will grow into whoppers over 1-2lb in weight. Onion Seeds need sowing onto the surface of moist seed sowing compost, and then they should be lightly covered with fine grade vermiculite. Once sown, place in a heated propagator set at 20C (70F). Germination usually takes 10-14 days.
 
5. Give yourself time to harvest Vegetables for the Christmas lunch a few days before they are required. This year I will be enjoying Parsnip ‘Gladiator’ , Carrots ‘Eskimo’, Brussels Sprout ‘Brodie’,  Red Cabbage ‘Red Lodero’, Savoy Cabbage ‘Wintessa’ all harvested fresh from my plot , along with from storage some Onion ‘Santero’  for flavour to the meat juices  and Potato ‘Setanta’ to make my Roasties.  
 
6. December is the ideal month for pruning Blackcurrants. Now that all the leaves have fallen off the plants it makes it easier to see what you are doing. When pruning Blackcurrants you should cut out as much old wood as possible to leave just young growth, that is less than 3 years old. The younger shoots will grow more vigorously and in turn will produce more fruit. The older wood is easily recognised because it is much darker in colour than the younger shoots, and often the bark is a lot rougher. Always try to prune down to a healthy new bud as close to the base of the plant as you can. This will help encourage new shoots to grow from the base. Once pruned give the blackcurrant plants a generous mulch of well-rotted manure or garden compost.
 
7. Check your apples and pears in storage this winter for signs of damage or rot. Removing this will stop fungal spores spreading to the rest of your fruit.
When the weather is cool and dry, take advantage of these nice days to dig the vegetable plot. If this job is done from now until the New Year you will have a neat and tidy plot ready for the new season. I always dig in plenty of well-rotted manure or mushroom compost to help add some nutrients and structure to the soil. I find digging pleasurable as well as a great way of keeping fit and it helps burn off any of those calories that I may have put on over the festive period.
 
8. If you have some large clumps of Rhubarb, why not cut a piece off and leave it lying on the top of the ground this month to get frosted. This cold period will spur the growth buds into developing sooner. Leave the Rhubarb laying there for several weeks until it has been frosted several times, then pot it up and move it into a warm (Not hot) greenhouse or shed. This will then start to produce some tender sticks of Rhubarb for you to enjoy early next spring.
 
9. It always surprises me how much colour and scent there is in the garden at this time of year. Rather than leave this scent outdoors why not cut a few stems of winter flowering Honeysuckle, Viburnum and Mahonia as they show colour and place them in a vase of water indoors. Then as the buds open they will fill your rooms with their colour and fragrance.

Have a look at our garlic growing guide.

November is a good month to tidy up gardens and vegetable plots and use the long dark evenings to plan for next year. 

1. One job that can be done early this month, whatever the weather, is planting Amaryllis bulbs, so you will be able to enjoy them indoors from Christmas, going into January. I like to simply plant a single bulb, in a 13-15cm (5-6in) pot, so it is sitting on the high side, so only the bottom 1/3 of the bulb is covered with compost. Give the compost a little water, stand it on a warm windowsill and watch it grow. 

2. Before we get any very cold and frosty weather, it is important to protect pot grown Fig plants. These should be moved into a cold glasshouse or under a carport, as this will help protect any small embryo figs from frost damage. As these small figs will produce your fig crop next year.

3. Seed and plant catalogues are falling through the letterbox each week at the moment. Take advantage of the long winter evenings and browse through the pages and plan your display for the year ahead. Early ordering is always advisable to guarantee you get the seeds and plants you require.

 4. Any containers you have plants growing in for the winter months are best raised slightly off the ground from now through to the spring. By standing your pots on some stones, bricks or laths of wood will help to keep the drainage hole off the ground and allow free drainage. This helps prevent your containers becoming waterlogged during very wet spells of weather.

5. Autumn is the ideal time for planting new trees and shrubs into your garden whilst they are going into a dormant state. Planting now will help them get established through the winter and allow the roots to settle before next spring. Always prepare the soil well before planting adding plenty of organic matter and a sprinkle of bone meal and some Mycorrihizal friendly fungi to the planting hole, all will help the plants establish quicker.

6. November is the best month to plant Tulip bulbs. These should be planted at least twice the bulb depth. Plant in an open sunny site in borders or containers. There is also still plenty of time to plant Daffodils and Crocus as well if not already done. Many garden centres and mail order companies will have these on offer at the moment so you can fill your garden and containers with some real bargains.

7. If like me you enjoy growing fresh vegetables, well this month is the perfect time to sow some Broad beans and Peas outside on the vegetable plot, provided the soil is not waterlogged. When Sowing Broad beans at this time of year, you will need a hardy variety like Aquadulce Claudia, and a hardy variety of Peas like Meteor. Both Peas and Beans should be sown in drills, on the vegetable plot, and are best sown under cloches for early winter protection. Sowing these vegetables this month will give you an early harvest next spring.

8. Vegetable plots can have the last of old crops removed to the compost heap and the plot cleaned up ready for winter digging . Empty rotted down compost heaps onto spare ground, or have deliveries of well rotten farm yard manure or mushroom compost. These can be spread on the soil ready for winter digging. I like to try and get this digging done before the weather gets too bad, so the plot can be left clean and tidy over winter, and allow the winter weather to help break up the soil ready for next spring.  

9. Soft fruit bushes at this time of year will benefit from having a thick mulch of well-rotted farmyard manure or old compost put around the base of each plant. This will help keep the ground free from weeds as well as add nutrients to the soil, and increase your crop next year. Working in some High potash fertiliser into the soil around bushes at this time of year will also help encourage fruiting next year.

10. One very quick yet important job at this time of year is to check that your Potatoes, Carrots and Beetroot are stored for winter use. Make sure you remove any tubers or roots that are showing signs of decay. This will stop -any fungal diseases from spreading through the whole of your stored crops, and ruining your hard-earned harvest.

What to do in the garden in October.

After the long hot summer, mornings now really do feel like autumn, and the daylight hours are already getting shorter. This month is best spent bringing in the rest of the harvest as well as preparing for next years crops and display.

1. If you are growing Camellias, you may notice this month they are forming buds in their growing points. Now’s the time to feed your plants with a High Potash (Tomato food) and keep them well watered, with rainwater if possible, but its if not available due to this year’s drought, any water will do. This will encourage the buds to swell, rewarding you with a better display of blooms next spring. 

2. Most gardeners like to look ahead and now is the time to start thinking about planting Bulbs. I like to plant my Daffodils and Crocus first, particularly if you are thinking of having some naturalized in a lawn or grassland area. The best way to get a natural un-regimented effect is to take a handful of bulbs and throw them on the area you wish to plant them. Then plant each bulb where it lands. Planting bulbs in grass can be quite difficult with a trowel, so the best tool to use is a Bulb planter. This tool can be screwed into the soil through the grass and will take out a core of soil and turf. Then you can drop the bulb in the hole and replace the core. The bulbs will then naturally grow up through the grass area, giving a spectacular and natural looking display next spring. Delay planting this years until we have had sufficient rainfall for the lawns to recover and so there is enough moisture below for the bulbs to grow. 

3. From this month till mid-October is the ideal time to plant Autumn Onion sets like Senshyu Yellow or Red Electric, these will mature around June/ July next year, just as your stored onions are coming to an end. I always think this is a good crop to grow, as it ensures the kitchen has a continuous supply of onions to use.    

4. If you are growing Melons under glass, these will be almost ready to harvest. Growing a good melon takes a lot of care and attention and can be very rewarding when you cut and taste that first fruit. The fruits can get quite heavy and the last thing you want is for the fruits to fall off the plants now that you are so close to harvest time. One handy tip is to support the fruits as they grow with some string nets  or old tights. 

5. This month is the ideal time to order Garlic for Delivery in October, so you are ready for planting from November onwards. Ordering early will hopefully ensure you get the varieties you like to grow. Once received, these can be laid out in trays in a cool place until you are ready to split up the cloves for planting. Depending on the size of the bulb received will determine the amount of cloves you get. All varieties vary and with this years hot weather some bulbs may be slightly reduced in size to previous years but all will grow  just as well as normal. 

6. Whilst the soil is still warm and once we get a decent rain so lawns start to green up and recover from the drought, later this month is a good time of year to put some effort into repairing any damaged lawns. Lawns will benefit from a light scarifying with a spring rake. Once scarified the lawn can be over seeded with a mix of fine compost and lawn seed, this will fill in any bare patches. Once the seed compost mix is spread over the lawn I brush this into the grass with a stiff broom. The lawn will look a mess for a few weeks, but once the new seed starts to germinate and thicken, your lawn will look better than ever next year.

7. As autumn is approaching fast and to help keep ponds clean I always think it is best to put some form of fine mesh net over your pond now. This will catch the majority of the leaves, and stop them falling into your pond and sinking to the bottom, as this will make a smell messy sludge on the bottom, as well as using up air from the water. Then once a week, lift off the net and remove the leaves to the compost heap, then replace the net back over the pond; this should hopefully keep the pond clean throughout the autumn. 

8. If you have some spare ground on your vegetable plot and you find it difficult to get hold of Nitrogen rich Manure to dig in during the autumn, you can now make your own. If you sow Green Manure this month it is an easy way of adding nutrients and organic matter, improving the soil structure and fertility of your vegetable garden. The seed should be sown thinly at a rate of 30-40gms (1- 1.5 oz) per square meter (yard). Seedlings will grow quickly, and can be dug in once they are 23cm (9in) tall. You can leave the plants to grow taller whereby their root system will draw up further minerals but these will need chopping up prior to digging in, but will provide increased bulky matter (humus) to your soil.

9. As Summer bedding starts to look shabby this month, gradually clear the borders and empty any containers and baskets that look passed their best. Add this material to your compost heap to gradually rot down for later use. The border soil can be prepared and containers re-filled with fresh compost ready for planting with autumn bedding plants like Pansy, Viola, Bellis, Primroses, Polyanthus and forget-me-nots later this month or in October.  

10. Towards the end of this month I will be cutting the tops off all my main crop potatoes. This is to help the skins set and prevent them from getting any late blight damage. Once lifted the tubers are placed into paper or hessian sacks and put away in my cool frost free garage for use throughout the winter months.
    

Have a look at our tomato seed growing guide to help you get the best from your crops!

August is harvest time, but there are still crops to sow, giving you an early harvest next year.
 
1.    This month I like to keep a check over any soft succulent leaves on my bedding plants for any signs of Caterpillar damage. Caterpillars can eat the leaves of Nasturtiums and Geraniums to shreds in about two days. Caterpillars love to feed on these leaves and can quickly spoil your plants. If seen in the early stages they can be picked off, and any eggs rubbed off the leaves. If however you get a bad attack, you may need to spray with a suitable insecticide.
 
2.    If you have an old strawberry bed that needs regenerating or you want to increase the size of your strawberry bed next year, this is best done during early August. Your old established plants should be producing plenty of runners; these can be pegged down with a wire hoop into pots or trays. These will quickly root and then once rooted; they can be cut away from the mother plants ready for planting your new strawberry bed this autumn. Alternatively you can order new plants from our mail order website.  
 
3.    Fill any gaps on the vegetable plot with over winter Lettuce. From August through to October you can sow direct outside varieties like Arctic King and Winter Imperial. With a little winter cloche protection you will have tasty lettuces to cut early next year.
 
4.    This month is the time to lift and store early and second early potatoes for future use. I always take my time to carefully fork out the tubers and dry them in the sun for about 1 hour, and then I put them into potato sacks. You can leave main crop potatoes for harvesting early next month. If you have cut the foliage down from your potatoes because they were affected by blight, do not lift the tubers for at least three weeks after cutting the foliage down. Otherwise the blight fungal spores could still affect the tubers you store as they are lifted through the soil and ruin your crop.
 
5.    This month you can sow Spring cabbage like Wheelers Imperial, April or Spring Hero in a seed bed outside, then once plants are large enough these can be transplanted to a space on the veg plot. These will stand all winter and can be harvested either as spring greens or as full size heads early next year. You can also try Winter Green that will mature into tasty spring greens.
 
6.    Often at this time of year many early flowering annuals and perennial plants start to look tired or have already finished flowering. I like to cut these back hard or sometimes remove them totally from the borders during this month. Then to ensure there is still colour in the garden, I stand some of my flowering patio containers in their place to fill the gaps and prolong my colourful display.
 
7.    Sweet corn will be ready to harvest later this month. An easy way to check if it is ready to eat is when the Silks (tassels) turn brown and the cobs look swollen. Then pull back a little of the sheath around the cob, push your fingernail into one of the kernels, and if a milky juice comes out they are in perfect condition for eating.
 
8.    If you have some very good baskets of Trailing Geraniums or Pots of Zonal Geraniums, why not take your own cuttings. Geranium cuttings taken now root very easily. Simply trim off shoots about 2.5 cm (2in) long, and cut just below a pair of leaves. Then remove the bottom pair of leaves and any flower buds. This cutting is now ready, I then like to dip the cut end into Hormone Rooting Powder, this is now ready for inserting into pots or trays filled with moist Multipurpose Compost. Cuttings taken at this time of year root very easily if placed on the bench in a greenhouse or even stood outside in a semi shaded part of the garden (Unlike other cuttings, Geranium cuttings DO NOT need covering with polythene to aid rooting). After initial watering, keep trays of compost on the dry side whilst rooting, this will help prevent stem rot (Blackleg) occurring. Plants should be rooted in 14-21 days.
 
9.    As space comes available from early harvested crops and where potatoes were, make sure you fill it up again, as now is a good time to sow some over wintering Japanese Onions. Sown now outside in drills these will quickly germinate and will be ready for thinning early next year as spring onions then I leave the rest to mature as full sized onions for use from June onwards. I find these a useful crop to grow as; you will have onions ready to use just as your stored onions have finished. I think one of the best varieties to grow is Onion Keepwell F1 Hybrid. Overwinter Spring Onions can also be sown this month like White Lisbon winter hardy  or New for 2023 is Gerda that can be sown in the autumn or spring.
 
10.    For a continuous supply of salad leaves going into the autumn, I will be making another sowing of Mixed salad leaves into pots on the patio this month. These will quickly germinate and produce fresh mixed leaves ready to pick as baby leaves in around 28-30 days. The advantage of sowing these leaves in pots at this time of year is that they can always be moved to a cool glasshouse or sheltered part of the garden if the weather turns bad.

Summer has arrived with a bang this year with some extremely hot days, long hot spells means plenty of watering as well as bringing in the early harvests. July is also a month to look ahead to crops and floral displays for later this year as well as some to enjoy next year.  

1.    As you harvest crops, try to refill the spaces with quick growing salad crops like Radish, Beetroot, Rocket, Mizuna and Salad Turnip Sweetbell.

2.    I like to make a late sowing of Dwarf French Beans this month as they will be ready for a late harvest in September or early October. I sow the seeds direct outside into drills on the vegetable plot or into pots on the patio.

3.    As regular readers of my tips you will know I am always looking ahead, and towards the end of this month I always sow some early maturing carrots like Carrot Early Nantes or Eskimo, so I have fresh young new carrots ready to harvest for Christmas. When sowing outside at this time of year, make sure you water the seed drill first before sowing the seed, then cover over the seed with dry soil, this will trap the moisture below the ground where the seeds need it.  

4.    Once the summer fruiting Raspberry canes have finished fruiting, it is time for a tidy up. I cut the old fruited brown-stemmed canes down to the ground, leaving the new green-stemmed ones. I then tie these into my wire framework, ready for next year’s harvest.

5.    During very hot dry weather this month, it is always wise to raise the height of your lawn mower blades. If you cut your grass too short during hot weather it can stress the lawn and you will end up with a lot of bare patches.

6.    As already mentioned, I am always looking ahead in the garden, this month I am going to sow some Biennials like Bellis, Pansy and Forget me nots and a few Perennials, to flower next spring into early summer. I like to sow Foxgloves and Canterbury bells, Hollyhocks and Delphiniums so I have plants large enough for planting out in October. These are sown in trays of compost in a cool greenhouse or cold frame. You can also sow Wallflowers and Sweet Williams outside in drills on a spare piece of ground and transplant to Borders in the autumn when large enough.

7.    If you have any Bearded Irises these will benefit from being lifted and divided. As these plants have finished flowering they should be lifted carefully with a fork. Once lifted, cut away old dormant growth, and any dead or diseased foliage and old flower stalks and throw this away. You can then keep the vigorous young green offshoots, trim back their foliage by half into an arrow shape to help reduce moisture loss. Then replant in an area of the garden where they get full sun. Bearded Irises should be planted quite shallowly so the Rhizomes sit just on the soil surface, as they love being baked by the sun.

8.    Dahlias are flowering well in July right through to the autumn, but these can often be spoiled by an attack of Earwigs. So it is now time to set an Earwig Trap. This is a very easy device to make. All you do is take a flowerpot and fill it with straw or hay and put it upturned on top of a bamboo cane amongst your Dahlias. The Earwigs will hide in this pot during the day, then each morning you can check your traps for Earwigs and dispose of them. The same method of control works very well on Chrysanthemums, keeping the blooms nibble free.

9.    When the weather is warm, dry and hot, many salad crops like Salad leaves, radish and spinach will quickly run to seed. One way of overcoming this problem is sowing these crops in between taller crops like Sweetcorn, so they get a little dapple shade. Once germinated keep moist at all times until they are ready to harvest.

10.     Runner Bean crops will be fruiting well this month and picking regularly will ensure you harvest tender beans. Runner Beans will put up with hot daytime temperatures, but do not like hot nights as this can cause the plants stress and make flowers drop rather than set beans. Try to keep plants well-watered and spray water over the foliage in the evenings to help keep the plants cool.