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The January GardenFrom SonairteWe are already almost a month past the winter solstice and the first signs of spring are appearing. Buds are breaking on many plants – and some will undoubtedly get cut off by frosts later. As I write gales are bending the trees and there is still plenty of time for ice and snow. Nonetheless there are flowers in the garden now – here at Sonairte the lovely Iris unguicalaris and the winter flowering honeysuckle Lonicera frangrantissima, which really lives up to its name, are the particular stars at the moment. In my own garden the white double hellebore “Mrs Betty Ranicar” is covered with blooms and an early flowering commercial daffodil variety whose name I’ve never managed to discover is already sending up a host of tall delicate trumpets. Both seem to be completely weatherproof, as is the lovely Daphne “Jacqueline Postil” despite its reputed delicacy. Perhaps the latter is yet another symptom of global warming. Instead of Iris Unguicalaris, which likes a sunny site, I grow the darker blue Iris Lazica which tolerates shade and wet – a good thing if the Delvin river makes regular visits to ones garden, as it has done today. And if you had planted in time there are lots of vegetables and salads you could be eating. Carrots, parsnips, beetroot, cabbages, kale, perpetual spinach and chard, Jerusalem artichokes, leeks and lots of other less familiar vegetables are all in season now and we are picking winter salads such as corn salad, rocket, scallions, land cress, chicory and endive as well as wild salads such as dandelion and chick weed – did you know those particular “weeds” are delicious? In the garden we need to catch up with maintenance jobs such as cleaning out sheds and greenhouses and winter pruning. Its still a little early to cut back all the dead growth on herbaceous plants which is providing shelter for the new crowns coming into growth at soil level but we will need to do this at the beginning of February. If you haven’t already bought seeds for this year’s growing now is the time to do it. Sonairte recommends you buy organic seed and there is a short list of sources at the end of this article. Sort out seed trays and pots and wash them out well. Make sure there are no lingering slugs, snails and woodlice around whatever area you choose to use for propagation. Make sure outdoor taps are insulated against frost – all that bubble wrap plastic you couldn’t bear to throw away comes in handy here. You can use it to insulate the greenhouse as well. Cluster plants in pots close to the house so that the extra warmth will protect the roots from freezing. If there are still fallen leaves on paths and lawns rake them up and add them to the leaf mould pile or compost heap. Do any hard landscaping work you have planned. If this means moving mature trees and shrubs winter is the best time to do it. Check trees and shrubs planted during the last year have not been loosened by frost or wind. Heel them in more firmly if they have and renew stakes if necessary. Pruning If you have grape vines concentrate on pruning them first – grapes can literally bleed to death if you delay pruning until spring growth starts Prune currants, gooseberries, raspberries, apples and pears but don’t prune cherries, plums and peaches – these can get nasty fungal diseases if you prune them in winter. Many shrubs can be pruned at this time of year – buddleia should be cut back very hard -but others, such as forsythia, are best left until after flowering. Leave clematis Montana and winter flowering clematis until after flowering but prune summer and autumn varieties right back to a foot above the ground. If you don’t know how to prune your plants I suggest you get a good book out of the library. Propagating You can still take cuttings of currants and gooseberries, roses, willows, roses and hydrangeas, among other shrubs. The success rate won’t be as high as it would have been two months ago but you should still be fairly successful We are coming into the best time to propagate herbaceous perennials. Oriental poppies and acanthus (bears breeches) will come from root cuttings in the open garden but French tarragon, which is also propagated by root cuttings, needs to be propagated in heat. Any clump that is getting too big for its space in the herbaceous border can simply be lifted and gently teased apart. Old, woody sections in the centre are perhaps best sent to the compost heap and you can grow on the healthy young plants from round the edge. We are starting to sow our first vegetable seeds in heated propagators. This week we sowed aubergines, peppers, tomatoes, tomatillos, coriander and basil. At the end of the month broad bean seeds will be sprouted indoors before being sowed under fleece in the garden – and maybe in a polytunnel if we have room. We don’t grow many onions because at some time in its long history the soil in Sonairte was infected with onion white rot, but we do grow scallions in the tunnels and those will be sown in heat this week as well. Two weeks ago we sowed a mixture of old brassica seeds in a polytunnel to use the leaves for spring salads and stir fries and these are already up and growing away fast. You could do the same in a cold frame, on the greenhouse bench in a seed tray or on the window sill in any container that comes to hand. Fruit and vegetable trays work well. Lawn care We’ve been servicing the lawnmowers in Sonairte during this last week – the grass is already starting to grow and we want to be ready for spring. Make sure blades are sharpened and everything is cleaned and oiled. Look after your tools and they will look after you. If there are compacted or mossy areas on lawns spike them to help with aeration. There will be more about how to cut grass to get the best lawns in later articles. Ponds Pumps should have been taken out in the autumn and serviced and put away. If anyone has spare small garden pond pumps that will run off solar panels we would like to hear from them as the ones at Sonairte have worn out leaving us with working solar power sources but no fountains. Paths and decks These can easily become mossy and slippery during winter damp. Try and keep them scrubbed down to discourage moss growth. Pests and diseases Don’t overwater in greenhouses and polytunnels or winter lettuce and chicories will die of an assortment of fungal diseases. Hunt slugs and snails – pick up pots and check underneath and inside them, turn over rocks, check under woodpiles. Don’t disturb black beetles – they are the gardener’s friends Sources for organic seed
Organic Gardening Books for Beginners
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