January Gardening Tips

Make Sure You Feed the Birds in January!

January is a tough month for birds to get food so it is essential that you keep feeding birds food and water. You can expect to see many birds coming to eat from your garden regularly. In return they will help to keep your lawn lush by controlling slugs, snails and greenflies, limiting the damage that these garden pests can do.

Winter is a great time of year for working soil.

January is an ideal time to work soil because the weather is cold. The benefit to doing this at lower temperatures is that soil will not stick to your tools as it would do in summer. As such you can prepare the soil in anticipation for the better weather to give yourself an advantage. Wait until a few days after rainfall and this will be the perfect time to turn over the soil and break up the more compact and lumpy soil. This will help to remove weeds and bring air to the soil making growing in the spring and summer months easier.

Start to dig in manure now.

While you are digging out the soil you can also dig in some mature manure. Look to spread this evenly over the surface. Aim to dig to a depth of between 20-30cm. Leaf piles and compost heaps can be raked and spread over vacant beds. Look to use well rotted composted horse manure or regular organic garden compost.

Start sowing seeds indoors.

Outdoor work can often be difficult over winter so look to start sowing early seeds inside in a controlled temperate environment. You can use a heated greenhouse or propagator to sow and plant seeds such as Begonia, Lobelia and Salvia.

Plan ahead for the year.

If you need motivation to get out in the garden why not order your spring and summer flower bulbs, seeds and other essentials now. The start of the year is a great time to buy these as they will often be available at a reduced price. Having all the necessary equipment such as string, stakes and canes and your bulbs, seeds, compost and fertilisers all ordered and ready gives you no excuse not to get out in the garden this year!