Trees
and Shrubs
You
can plant out trees and shrubs this month, but only
if the conditions are right. You don’t want to be
planting when the ground is frozen or wet and sticky.
When you are planting out it is advisable to use
Rootgrow for the root system and farmyard manure
for the plant to get a good start with nutrients.
It
is a good time of year to examine stakes on trees
and shrubs for damages. If any are damaged replace
as soon as possible. With some shrubs after planting,
such as Camellias and Magnolias which are early
flowerers, it is wise to put some frost protection
fleece over them so that the frost can’t damage
the flowering buds.
Check
after frosty nights that the frost hasn’t lifted
any newly planted trees or shrubs. If it has, then
heel them in and add mulch, such as decorative bark,
on the surface to stop this from happening again.
Any dead or damaged branches should be removed as
soon as possible, but be careful to cut them flush
and not to leave any snags.
Roses
All
the new roses are now in stock!!
Start
the year by tidying the rose beds by removing all
the fallen leaves and putting them on the compost
heap, unless they show any signed of disease. You
will need to remove any weeds from the bed and then
give it a mulch of garden compost, such as Westland
Rose, Tree and Shrub or Multipurpose. This will
stop the ground from being beaten down by the rain.
Planting
of new roses can be done so long as the weather
conditions are in your favour. You can’t plant out
if the ground is frozen or too wet and sticky.
Beds
and Borders
It
is important that the beds and borders have a good
dig and weed. Annual weeds may be buried under the
surface of the soil. These should be removed and
put on the compost heap, any perennial weeds should
be burnt.
Hellebourus
(Christmas Roses) produce excellent January blooms
and are in stock. It is wise to leave herbaceous
plants and not to cut them back until the beginning
of spring. The old foliage will provide some protection
to the new growth from the frost.
Any
biennials or herbaceous plants that stay green over
the winter need to have any leavesthat have fallen
removed from them.
Bulbs
and Corms
Summer
flowering bulbs are now in Stock!!
When
the signs of spring bulbs appear, it is wise to
dig the surface of the soil to 1 inch. This will
allow some air to get in, and also get rid of any
moss that might have grown.
Ponds
Again
this month keep the pond clear from any fallen leaves.
Lawns
Although
not much can be done at this time of year with the
lawn, worms can be a nuisance with their worm casts.
Not only are they nuisances but these worm cast
create an uneven ground and encourage the courser
grasses to grow and stifle the finer grasses. You
can distribute the worm casts over the surface of
the soil with a broom. While doing this job any
moss that may have appeared can be raked out as
well.
If
any puddle or wet patches appear in the line spike
them with a garden fork. Then add a dressing of
grit or sharp sand. This may also improve matters.
