Gardening Calendar
Gardening Calendar
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
MAY
May is a busy time in the garden, getting everything ready for what will hopefully be a wonderful summer. Luckily, the days are getting longer and there are two Bank Holidays to enjoy and spend gardening. The warmer temperatures provide great growing conditions, but frosts and cold nights are still possible, so keep an eye on any young and tender plants, which may suffer, and be prepared to protect them with horticultural fleece..
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Plant summer-flowering bulbs, such as begonias, cannas, dahlias and gladioli.
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Take stem cuttings of half-hardy perennials and patio plants, such as fuchsias and pelargoniums.
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Harden off young plants grown indoors, acclimatising them to outdoor conditions for 7-10 days.
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Sow hardy annual seeds outdoors where you want them to flower.
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Plant up patio pots with permanent hardy plants - trees, shrubs, perennials and even fruit.
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Feed all outdoor plants with a plant food.
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Water container plants regularly - possibly daily, depending on the weather.
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Carefully deadhead azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons to remove faded flowers.
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Prune spring-flowering shrubs after they have finished flowering.
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Check plants regularly to see if they need watering. If they do, give them a thorough soaking.
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Cut out reverted all-green shoots from variegated evergreen shrubs, otherwise they'll take over.
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Mulch borders with bark to help retain essential soil moisture and keep down weeds.
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Plant containers and hanging baskets with summer-flowering bedding - but protect them from frosts.
Vegetable Garden:
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Sow fast-maturing vegetables, such as salad crops, every 10-14 days to ensure a continuous supply.
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Sow tender vegetables, such as sweet corn, marrows and courgettes, outside in the ground.
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Sow cauliflowers and purple sprouting broccoli seeds.
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Transplant Brussels sprouts plants to their final cropping positions.
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Plant container-grown fruit trees and bushes to provide you with lots of delicious home-grown fruit for many years.
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Thin out excess and overcrowded raspberry canes.
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Lawn care:
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Start feeding lawns with a granular lawn food.
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Mow lawns regularly – probably at least once a week – as and when the grass is growing.
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Control moss in lawns by treating it with a mosskiller.
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Control weeds in lawns with a feed and weed or liquid lawn weedkiller.
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Edge lawns weekly to keep them looking neat and tidy and prevent grass growing into borders.
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