Gardening Tips For January 2011
- Keep on top of winter germinating weeds
- Clear the crowns of plants of damp leaves
- Continue with winter digging as soil conditions allow
- Check newly planted trees and shrubs and re-firm if lifted by the frost
- Brush snow of heavily laden trees, shrubs and hedges before the weight breaks or splays branches
- Sow sweet peas under cover
- Chit early potatoes
- Sow early vegetable crops under cover
Work in the garden in January can be very dependant on the weather. If weather and ground conditions allow this is a good time of year to plant a new deciduous hedge such as Beech, Hawthorn or Hornbeam.
The cheapest way to buy hedging is as young barerooted plants known as whips.
To prepare the ground, dig a trench to the depth of your spade, incorporate well rotted organic matter into the bottom of the trench, then cover this with the soil that was dug out initially.
Space the young plants out along the length of the trench, planting them and firming them in with the heel of your boot.
In exposed sites a windbreak of plastic mesh on the windward side of the hedge will help the plants establish.
