Gardening tips – January 2026
Happy New Year everyone. 2026 is the 25th year that these tips have been written, so I must have repeated myself quite often but then, so do the seasons and all the natural rhythms of the year.
This is the time of year when houseplants are most appreciated. Azaleas, cineraria and cyclamen will all help to cheer things up. Do not over water, and most of these plants like cool conditions.
When your seeds arrive from the supplier keep them in a cool dry place until required. Protect pea seeds in particular because mice love them, and they have already got into our garden shed where they have started on anything that they can reach. Remember paper is no barrier to sharp teeth, and makes lovely nesting material.
Rhubarb can be forced using an upturned bucket or tub. This should be covered with garden fleece to keep off any frost.
When seed potatoes arrive, keep them in a frost-free place and stand the tubers, eye-end uppermost, in shallow boxes. If you can get large egg trays these are ideal for keeping the tubers upright and just separated to prevent any infection spreading.
Don’t forget to clear away stems and roots of green crops like cabbages once they have finished and try to get ahead with winter cultivation whenever the weather gives you a chance. Cloches put out to protect seed beds will allow the soil to dry and allow sowing to be started just a bit earlier than usual.
To get the best onions for the Summer Show (Saturday August 15th 2026, this year – make a note!) apart from starting the first sowings this month, you should give a good dressing of wood ash on the site of the bed that you will use, since they really like potash. The show is the earliest day it can be held on, so an early start is a good idea. This will apply to dahlia growers once the weather gets warmer.
Remember to get your mower and power tools serviced and ready for the spring. Don’t leave it to the last minute when everyone else will be trying to do the same thing.
Keep a check on all trees and shrubs, especially if they have been planted in the previous 12 months, to make sure that their roots are firmly in the soil. Wind and frost can easily lift them and do a lot of damage if they are not heeled in and kept firm. Finish any pruning of fruit trees. Give them a winter wash of tar oil to help keep down insect damage in the summer months. Fruiting bushes like currants and gooseberries should also be pruned during their dormant period.
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