Garden Jobs

Garden Jobs

from Pete - Head Gardener for January at Sherton Abbas Gardening 2021 is here and so of peat they use in their garden let’s look forward… and following on with centres. Peat free and loam based composts are available, and advice can be obtained from my Percy Thrower garden centre staff.

reference from last

month; Consider the soil in your garden - soil testing can help, particularly

‘Now’s the Time... To Consider, Plan and Prepare’ if you have moved to a new garden or have just taken on an allotment. This can avoid years CONSIDER: the environmental benefits of gardening. of disappointing results. The Testwest Soil Test Kit is one, or the Mooncity 3-in-1 soil tester is Reduce your use of peat based composts. The effects of extraction of peat from lowlands very easy to use. Again, speak to your local garden centre staff for advice. peat bogs in the UK has reduced peat bogs to less than 10% of their original size. This is irreparable, as peatlands take thousands of years to form. The Gardens Group - (Sherborne, Yeovil and Poundbury) are actively pursuing the idea and indeed are reducing the amount PLAN: How about planning for an environmentally friendly garden? Consider native plantings, allow an area of garden to ‘go native’ to attract wildlife eg. put up bird boxes, hedgehog homes, or maybe a butterfly house - (The Woodland Trust has more information on this here).

‘Now’s the Time’ to order your seed catalogues.

• Review what worked well in your garden last year (and what didn’t go well) and perhaps make a new plan of action. Also plan your vegetable plot rotations for the new season.

PREPARE

• Clear up and clean the greenhouse, consider a sulphur fumigate the greenhouse, wash all pots and the greenhouse glass (carefully) and perhaps consider installing automatic automatic vent openers, installing guttering and a water butt to conserve water.

• Pot up pelargonium cuttings and plant up overwintered dahlia tubers in a cold greenhouse. If you do not have a greenhouse, how about using cloches to warm up an area of soil to prepare for sowing early seeds?

• Clean all gardening tools and sharpen secateurs and shears.

Some of the jobs that can be done this month are: Sow Sweet Peas, Begonias, Pelargoniums, Basil, Dahlias - a heated propagator will help with the seed sowing and germination temperature requirements. Recycle your Christmas tree by shredding it for mulch. Prune Apple and Pear trees, start forcing Rhubarb, Plant Roses and bare rooted trees and shrubs if the ground is not frozen or waterlogged.

Now’s the Time to… look forward… to a better year in 2021. Pete 47