January
In The Fruit Garden In January
Begin pruning apple and pear trees if you haven’t done so already. This is best done while plants are still dormant.
Start forcing rhubarb plants. You can do this by placing an upturned bucket or bin over the crown. This will force tender pink stems to grow.
Prune blackcurrants, gooseberries and redcurrants to maintain a productive framework.
Continue to plant raspberry canes on sunny sites with free-draining soil.
Leave plums, cherries and apricots alone until the summer. Pruning them now will only make them susceptible to silver-leaf infections.
Top Tip:
Make a polythene shelter for outdoor peaches and nectarines, to protect against peach leaf curl.
This Month's Key Tips
- Now is the ideal time to start 'chitting' seed potatoes ready for Spring planting.
- Clean old pots and seed trays ready for sowing and planting.
- Plant seeds such as sweet peas, basil, chillies and iceland poppies now.
- Start forcing rhubarb.
- Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch.
