Monty Don's crucial January gardening task to 'deal with' pests and diseases
Gardening in January doesn't sound like anyone's idea of fun, but Monty Don has claimed there's one job we should all be doing at this time of year if we want to protect our plants from pests and disease.
With the new year upon us, it's time to start thinking about what you want your garden to look like when the flowers start to bloom in the spring. It might seem like the worst time of year to tend to your garden given that everything looks pretty dead but according to gardening expert Monty Don, there are some jobs that you should be starting right now - as they could stop your plants from getting covered in pests in the warmer months.
In a post on his website about tips and advice for January, Monty said that this time of year is the perfect time to start putting energy into "raising really strong seedlings". He said that planting seeds in January can help toughen them against some of the harsher temperatures we face, and can make sure they don't attract "pests and diseases" while they grow.
He wrote: "A healthy plant will always catch up if put in a little late, which is why at the beginning of the year I put most of my energies into raising really strong seedlings under cover, hardening them off slowly so that each one is thoroughly ready. This is certainly the best way to deal with most pests and diseases."
Monty's post also detailed the problems gardens face as a result of climate change, as winters are getting wetter and summers are drier, and there's no solid way to prepare your garden for both ends of the spectrum. However, Monty said you shouldn't feel "threatened by" the temperature and weather changes, as he admitted he sees it as an "exciting and fascinating challenge". He added: "For all the problems of the bigger picture there are still the day-to-day seasonal jobs that are timely to do in January if the weather permits, but do not worry if you cannot get out and get on - almost everything will wait."
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The garden jobs listed on his website for January include planting tulips if you haven't already, as Monty states this is the last time you can get the bulbs in the ground if you want them to flower. He noted bulbs planted now will "flower a little later" than those planted in the optimal month of November, but he said they will make a "perfectly good display".
Monty also said that if you're tending to a vegetable patch, you should be sowing your spring salad crops - such as rocket and Little Gem lettuce - in the first week of January. He recommended sowing any chillies you might want to grow at this time of year too, as they can be "slow to germinate" and can benefit from the heat of a radiator if you plant them in seed trays and keep them indoors. Onion bulbs can also be planted directly outside at this time of year provided your soil is dry enough, although Monty said that if your soil is too wet, they should be planted in plugs in a greenhouse or on a cool windowsill until they have established shoots and roots.
And finally, January should be the month that you do the winter pruning of any fruit trees you have. Monty said this is "always his big January job", and if he achieves nothing else in his garden this month, he would like to have his trees fully pruned before the start of February. However, the expert said you must be absolutely sure of what pruning your trees need, or else you will risk preventing your tree from producing any fruit later in the year.
He said: "Try to understand how something grows before pruning. Does it flower on new or old wood? Does it grow new shoots in a great post-flowering burst or do they steadily emerge over the season? Does a fruit tree need to achieve a certain maturity to create spurs that bear fruit or will they be produced in the first year of growth? Does the plant heal well or is it, like cherries and plums, a bleeder - and if so when does it produce the least sap? If in doubt about any of this - don't cut. Wait. You will never do harm by not pruning and patience in a garden is a great virtue.
"Do not prune plums, apricots, peaches or cherries (these should be pruned in late Spring and only if absolutely necessary)."
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