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Pippa Greenwood: Haxnicks gardening Tips for January

Written by Sarah Talbot

So its time for my gardening tips for January! 

I’m not too hot on New Year’s resolutions, I’m just not too good at keeping them.  But a list of things I want to do is so much more appealing (and more likely to get done too!)

If the weather is just too unpleasant to brave the garden, then why not start your own list of gardening hopes and aims for 2021. Perhaps start making compost or re-vamping the lawn.  Or maybe put up an attractive yet functional plant support so that you can then cover it in favourite climbers.  Or order seeds so you can grow some (or some more) of your own fruit and vegetables?

The world really is still your oyster at this time of year, so start working out what you’d like to grow too.  Maybe source some extra tasty sounding varieties or those which will work well in pots and planters if you’ve not got much in the way of garden soil space to spare? There, you see, suddenly it is all sounding more fun and enticing and giving you something to look forward to rather than the usual giving up alcohol or chocolate or resolving to become a gym bunny! (digging is better for you in oh so many ways!)

Out in the Garden 

Icy winds and sudden drops in temperature can do really serious damage, especially to more tender plants or those which have been moved into a cooler spot than they’re used to.

Fleece really comes into its own at this time of year, so make sure you have some to hand for use now and in the coming months.

If the plants most in need of protection are in containers or with a clear main stem

or trunk, then fleece jackets make frost and weather protection so much quicker and simpler.  Just pop the bag-like jacket over the top of the plant or ideally the plant and its container and then pull the drawstring tight so that the jacket stays in place. Snug as a bug in…fleece! It is also worth adding extra insulation around the sides of pots and planters and this too can be held in place by the jacket.

Time for a clear out?

If you’re inclined to keep things just in case, its time to decide what really is worth hanging on to.  And what really would be better off out of your life. I’m a hopeless hoarder or keeper-just-in-caser, so am not really qualified to comment. BUT here are two things I do do.

- Put those odds and ends of bags of compost into one bag.  Save the plastic bags though as they can be re-used as great rubbish bags as they are tougher than normal bin bags or can be opened out and used, black side uppermost to cover the soil before sowing or planting so that it warms up a bit.

- Get rid of badly broken and split plastic plant pots and trays – some local councils accept them for re-cycling if they’re not the black ones, others don’t, so check first.

If you need new pots go for something which isn’t plastic-based, like the Bamboo Pots (I’m particularly partial to the sage green ones.)

So that's my gardening tips for January.  And a Happy and Plant filled New Year to all of you! 

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