Gardening Calendar
Gardening Calendar
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
JANUARY
January is when climbers, shrubs and trees are leafless and in their dormant period and one of the best gardening months for pruning any garden subjects that could cause problems during winter storms and high winds. Wisteria is a good example of a climber that can be pruned now. After flowering the previous season and given a summer pruning it produces long wispy new growths that need to be controlled by cutting back. Either summer or winter pruning and whichever plant or shrub you are pruning the first step is to remove any dead or damaged branches.
MARCH
March is the start of spring – the main gardening season – and there are lots of things to get on with in the garden, to get it ready for a long, glorious summer. But keep an eye on the weather, as frosts, cold weather and cold winds can all be prevalent, which can be damaging to the new growth of established plants and especially to young plants.
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Sow seeds of all your favourite annual bedding plants for a summer of wonderful colour.
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If you don’t have much success with seeds, it’s better to buy plug plants and seedlings for growing on.
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Buy pansy, primrose and polyanthus plants plus potted spring bulbs for some instant colour.
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Mulch the soil around trees and shrubs with a 5-7.5cm (2-3in) thick mulch.
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Prune summer- and autumn-flowering clematis. Leave spring-flowering clematis until after they’ve finished flowering.
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Prune bush - hybrid tea and floribunda - roses.
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Feed all your garden plants with a suitable plant food as they come into growth.
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Stock up your borders with new shrubs and herbaceous perennials.
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Buy summer-flowering bulbs, such as begonias, dahlias, gladioli and lilies.
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Put plant supports in place around herbaceous perennials that start into growth early in the year.
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Deadhead daffodils and other bulbs when the flowers fade and give them a liquid feed.
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Tie in the shoots of climbers as they grow, spreading them out evenly over their support.
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Sow hardy annual seeds outside for an inexpensive way to produce lots of flowers.
Vegetable Garden:
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Start sowing vegetable seeds outside in the ground.
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Sow tomatoes, sweet and chilli peppers, cucumbers and aubergines indoors with warmth.
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Lawn care:
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Start feeding lawns with a granular lawn food.
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Rake out dead grass and other debris (thatch) with a spring-tine rake to improve conditions for grass growth.
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Re-cut lawn edges with a half moon edging iron to give them a crisp and even look.
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Treat weeds and moss growing in the lawn with a product suitable for lawns.
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Mow lawns regularly as and when the grass is growing.
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Repair damaged and bare areas with fresh grass seed.
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Overseeding the lawn with new grass seed will help thicken it up and produce a darker green colour.
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