Gardener’s Calendar

but if you want to bulk up next year’s display, you can lift and divide this year’s clumps while they are still “in the green” – meaning you don’t have to wait for the leafy part of the plant to die back. Just lift the clump out of the ground, divide into several little clumps and plant with the white part of the stem under the soil and the leaves and flowers above. The advantage of doing this now is that you can see where the spaces you want to fill are!

The bright yellow of the Mahonia bush is beautiful during the winter, but it should be pruned once it has finished flowering. Take the flower spears out and prune out any long shoots. It’s also a good time to lightly trim winter heathers, but make sure you don’t cut back into old wood.

Top Tip:

Grey mould can be a problem in greenhouses this time of year. Cold and damp is the cause, the worst being damp which is why you shouldn’t start watering again unless the soil in your overwintered pots is properly dry. On warmer days open windows and doors to allow fresh air to circulate. If you do get mould, take off the affected leaves and if it is bad, remove the plant from the greenhouse to avoid the rot spreading.

Roses will benefit from an application of slow release fertiliser around the roots round about now.