Sow seeds for an early start.
Bursts of winter sun help to get plants and Gardeners through this winter and a drier second week of School holidays for Kids and Mums.
With enough winter rain the ground is soft and ready for spring bulbs and plant roots to increase growth. Magnolias, camellias, rhododendrons and azaleas will also be doing well in moist soil as will all native plants. I see daphne's in flower now and hellebores, primroses and polyanthus are just starting to brighten gardens. Primroses are so pretty they clump up well and in time can be broken up and spread .If you are at the stage of breaking up clumps, remove quite a few leaves on transplanting and keep the water up to them until they take hold, they will soon grow new roots to support them. Polyanthus and primulas will benefit from an application of Dried Blood to increase plant vigour and flowering
Sowing seeds now for spring: Under glass sow seeds of antirrhinum (snapdragon), carnation, calendula (common marigold), sweet peas, verbena and viola they should pop up and be ready to plant out in spring. for planting out in Spring. I have been sowing mixed wild flower seeds to get them up and going early in the hope of an early
warm spring. I have them in a tunnel house and will pot them on and hold from planting until the soil is warm enough.
Dahlias, gladioli, and peonies should be in Garden centers this month, hold back from planting in wet soggy soil, planting can continue until September.
Winter planting: If young trees or shrubs need transplanting now is a good time to do it whilst they are at their most dormant stage.
Continue protecting plants like Margarete daisies and pelargoniums from frosts with Frost Cloth as a cover above them, not touching. I have Margarete daisies that frost on the top each year, I just leave the frosted tops on to protect the new growth beneath. This would not work further inland. It would be best to protect or nurse cuttings to be planted out when the frosts are over.
Rose pruning is still going on, just in case you need reminding on how to tackle pruning.... make a slanted cut just above a strong outward facing bud.
Standard roses should be pruned to about 25cm above the main stem and bush roses can be cut back about two-thirds, leaving 3-4 buds on each branch.
Climbers can go back leaving 5-6 strong canes. Secateurs must be sharp to avoid damage by ripping branches which leads to die back.
Turn over compost now if you have not already done so and add some moisture if dry. If you still have leaves to Rake up why not fill large black rubbish bags,add a little water and leave to rot.
Leaf mulch is such a natural benefit to soil but most leaves are raked up at leaf fall because they look untidy. Rotting leaves down to leaf mulch when ready can be added to gardens and it will not be noticed.
One of my new gardens is continually shaded by a fence and remains cold and wet, I plan to mulch with sawdust from a lion's stand to help soak up moisture and keep soil a little warmer. Volunteers clean out calving sheds and under shearing sheds to keep the stands topped up with sheep manure & sawdust for keen gardeners. Calving shed sawdust can be used on garden pathways and wet gardens and sheep manure on the compost heaps, vegetable gardens and around roses when horse manure is not at hand, but never on dry gardens, it will dry out soil already not retaining moisture.
Vegetables
In land from the coast start raising vegetable seeds for spring planting in glass houses or on warm ground under glass or plastic with ventilation spaces to circulate air and stop seeds going moulding.
On the coast plant seedling plants that are now on offer along with garlic cloves.
Start sprouting seed potatoes, early varieties like Jersey benne, Cliffs kidney, Rocket, Ilam hardy, Maris Anchor should be sprouting now for an early planting.
Fruit: Look closely at the shape of your fruit trees and plan how pruning can improve them if needed.
Cheers, Linda
Get early seed potatos sprouting
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