New Year, New Growth!

Welcome to the height of summer in the garden. January is all about maintenance, harvesting, and preparing for the cooler months ahead. Let’s dig into some key tasks to keep your garden thriving.

Edible Garden

Harvest & Plant for Success

Keep Harvesting: Pick beans, cucumbers, courgettes, and peas regularly to keep them tender and sweet. Daily harvesting also encourages plants to produce more.
Succession Planting: Continue sowing dwarf beans, beetroot, and lettuce every 2–3 weeks for continuous harvests. Add celery, leeks, and brassicas like broccoli and cauliflower for late-summer and autumn crops.
Tomato Care: Remove side shoots (laterals) and tie plants to stakes. Trim lower leaves to improve airflow and prevent disease. Protect ripening fruit with netting and gently tap flower trusses daily for better pollination.
Herbs and Bulbs: Harvest garlic, shallots, and onions. Let them dry in the sun for up to two weeks before storing. Collect herbs for drying or freezing.

Prune stone fruit trees like peaches and plums.

Fruit Garden

Sweet Rewards

Strawberries & Stone Fruit: Mulch strawberries to keep fruit clean and net plants to protect against birds. Prune stone fruit like peaches and plums to avoid fungal infections, always on dry days.
Citrus Trees: Feed regularly and spray with a horticultural oil like Grosafe Enspray 99 to control pests like aphids and scale. Add a layer of mulch to retain moisture in the heat.
Passionfruit & Berries: Support vines and canes, and spray monthly with Free Flo Copper, Enspray 99 and Mavrik to protect against pests. Tie in raspberry and blackberry canes to encourage strong growth.

Flower Garden

Full Summer Bloom

Bright Blooms: Plant vibrant flowers like zinnias, gazanias, and delphiniums for color and pollinator attraction. Deadhead roses, dahlias, and salvias to encourage new flowers.
Container Care: Increase watering for hanging baskets and container plants, and feed with ican Fast Food liquid fertiliser to keep them lush.
Support Tall Plants: Provide stakes for taller perennials like gladioli and dahlias to prevent damage from wind or heavy blooms.

Setting up an irrigation system can help with watering.

General Maintenance

Healthy, Happy Garden

Weed and Mulch: Hoe between rows to stop weeds and apply mulch around plants to retain moisture and suppress new weeds.
Water Wisely: Deeply water plants 2–3 times a week, focusing on roots rather than foliage. Water early in the morning or evening to minimize evaporation.
Pest Control: Keep slugs, snails, and earwigs at bay with organic traps or sprays. Use copper-based sprays to protect tomatoes and potatoes from diseases like blight.

Lawn Care

Stay Green

Mow High: Raise your mower blade to leave grass 5–10cm high, helping it stay green in the dry weather.
Feed & Water: Apply fasting acting Lawn Force fertiliser and water deeply once or twice a week. Use a soil wetting agent like SaturAid for better moisture retention.

Plan Ahead

Take a moment to dream about your autumn garden. Consider sowing kale, spinach, and carrots to extend your harvest season. January is also a great time to order seeds and prep garden beds for cooler weather crops.

Happy Gardening!

January