January is the month to…
- Feed the birds……..make a bird feeder out of an old juice or milk carton
- Top up bird baths with fresh water daily and melt ice with warm water on frosty days
- Provide high-energy food for birds to help them through the winter months
- Clean out and scrub bird feeders regularly to maintain hygiene
In the Garden
- Plan this year’s garden and crop rotation
- Prune gooseberries, blackcurrants, redcurrants, cutting side shoots back to three buds from their base
- Prune apple and pear trees if you haven’t already – it’s best done while the plants are still dormant.
- Cover rhubarb plants with an upturned bucket or terracotta pot to force an early crop of tender long stems. The first stems will be ready in about 8 weeks’ time.
- Order seed potatoes, onions, shallots and garlic bulbs for planting in spring
Greenhouse
- Sow winter salads in a greenhouse, conservatory or on a sunny windowsill, for harvests within a few weeks
- Tidy up the greenhouse and garden beds
- Move potted strawberry plants under cover to encourage early fruiting
- Check overwintering plants regularly for aphids, mealy bugs and other pests, and take action where necessary
- Start sowing seeds of hardy annuals, such as cornflowers, cerinthe and ammi, in modular trays for early flowers
Garden maintenance
- Repair damaged fences, and treat wooden structures with preservative during dry spells
- Put up bird boxes in sheltered spots, on tree trunks, sheds or walls, well before the nesting season begins
- Clean and sharpen your tools, including hoes, secateurs and shears, and spray metal tools with oil
- Sprinkle an all-purpose organic fertiliser along the base of hedges and around shrubs