Gardening Jobs for January

January may be a quiet month in the garden, but it’s the perfect time to tackle essential maintenance tasks. Staying on top of jobs now makes spring far more manageable - and far more productive. Here are our top gardening tips and jobs for January.

Jobs for fruit trees, bushes and roses

Prune apple and pear trees

It’s generally best to prune apples and pears in the winter, while they are dormant. Remove dead, damaged or crossing branches and thin the canopy to improve airflow and light. This helps massively in reducing disease and improving fruiting.

Tip: Avoid pruning stone fruits such as plums and cherries in winter, as this increases the risk of silver leaf disease.

Plant bare-root trees, bushes and roses

Bare-root fruit trees, roses, hedging and shrubs can be planted in January as long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged. You can improve the planting hole with organic matter and firm plants in well before watering.

Tip: If planting needs to be delayed, heel bare-root plants into loose soil or compost until conditions improve.

Check stored fruit

Inspect stored apples and pears regularly and remove any that show signs of rot to stop it from spreading.

Jobs for vegetables and allotments

Plan crop rotation and seed sowing

Now’s the perfect time to dream a little about your vegetable layout for the year. Rotating crops helps reduce soil-borne pests and diseases, while keeping beds productive.

Prepare vegetable beds

Give your vegetable beds a January refresh: remove old crops and weeds, and fold in rich compost or well-rotted manure to nourish the soil.

Tip: Avoid walking on wet soil, as any compaction at this time of year can affect drainage and root growth for months.

Sow broad beans and early crops under cover

Broad beans can be sown in pots within a cold frame or greenhouse, particularly in milder areas. Salads, lettuce, spinach, onions and summer brassicas can also be started under cover with gentle heat and good light.

Tip: Starting broad beans in pots helps protect seedlings from mice - a common winter problem.

Force rhubarb

Encourage early, tender rhubarb stems by covering the crowns with a light-proof container.

Tip: Avoid forcing the same crown every year, as this weakens the plant.

Jobs for borders, shrubs and ornamentals

Tidy borders and cut back perennials

Remove collapsed or dead perennial stems to tidy borders and reduce overwintering pests. You can leave plants that still provide structure or wildlife value.

Take hardwood cuttings

Hardwood cuttings can be taken from deciduous shrubs such as dogwood, willow and Forsythia. Use healthy, pencil-thick stems and place them in free-draining compost or sheltered ground.

Jobs for the greenhouse and propagation

Clean greenhouses, pots and trays

Assess greenhouse glazing, benches, pots and seed trays to remove algae, pests and disease before the main seed-sowing season begins.

Check stored tubers and bulbs

Inspect stored Dahlias, Begonias and other tender tubers regularly, removing any that show signs of rot or excessive drying.

Jobs for lawns, wildlife and general care

Support Garden Wildlife

Keep bird feeders and water sources topped up during cold weather when natural food supplies are limited.

Look after lawns

Once lawns have dried a little, give them a gentle brush to clear worm casts. This keeps the soil healthy and the grass looking its best, ready to bounce back in spring.

Maintain garden tools

Clean, sharpen and oil garden tools so they are ready for use in spring.

Tip: Disinfect pruning blades between plants to reduce the spread of disease.

NEW PLANT FEEDS

Empathy Rootgrow Biofertiliser for Tomato & Vegetables 1kg
Shop now

Empathy Rootgrow Biofertiliser for Hydrangeas 1kg
Shop now

JUST LANDED: Summer-flowering bulbs

Dahlia ‘Platinum Blonde’
Supplied as Top-grade Tubers
Shop now

Dahlia ‘Speech’
Supplied as Top-grad Tubers
Shop now

Discover more of our NEW ARRIVALS here 

Growing guides for January

Begonias | Dahlias | Rhubarb

More monthly jobs

Gardening Jobs for September | Gardening Jobs for October | Gardening Jobs for November | Gardening Jobs for December | View All Gardening Jobs