Following the guidance from our previous blog in December your Garden should be ready for the new growing season. Although it's still a little too early to really get started you can still continue to prepare for the new Spring season.
If you were already growing vegetables from the previous year, the following are ready for harvest;
- Sprouting broccoli
- Brussels sprouts
- Leeks
- Parsnips
- Swede
- Celeriac
- Turnips
Some vegetables can be started in January for an early crop. Some will require protection from the cold until the year warms so you may require a greenhouse, cold frame or cloches to help get started!
- Broad beans can be sown in small pots and start well in a cold frame or an unheated greenhouse.
- Some seeds can be started inside where they require a little more heat, such as; lettuces, spinach, turnips, cabbages and cauliflowers.
Pruning fruits is also vital in January to ensure another harvest later in the year. Prune back; autumn raspberries, gooseberries, currants apples and pears.
Aside from those jobs January is a great time to double over on December's work and ensure the garden is ready for spring.
- Protect early seedlings and sowings from slugs.
- Protect brassicas from pigeons
- Remove any plants from the plot that have diseased material such as blight, white rot and any crops with rust. Do not dispose in compost bin but burn/bin the material.