Jobs to do in the Garden

A month by month, easy to follow, guide to the jobs you should be doing in your garden now.

January

In the Flower Garden:

• Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs
• Prune standard roses
• Take hardwood cuttings from shrubs
• Remove dead stems and leaves from perennials
• Tidy grasses

In the Vegetable Garden:

• Fork over empty beds and mix in compost
• Plant fruit trees
• Prune Gooseberry bushes
• Warm up beds for early crops
• Tie raspberry and blackberry canes to support wires

In the Greenhouse:

• Monitor heaters to ensure they are working efficiently
• Take root cuttings of perennials
• Wash greenhouse glass to let in more light
• Water plants when the compost is dry
• Regularly deadhead over-wintering plants

Lawns:

• Continue to Remove fallen leaves
• Don’t walk on frozen turf
• Have the mower over­hauled and to make sure that the other lawn tools are ready for use in the spring
• Laying turf is possible during fine spells

General:

• Recycle your Christmas tree
• Order seed potatoes, onion sets and garlic
• Order early from seed catalogues
• Dig compost into empty areas of soil
• Add shredded winter prunings to your compost heap

February

Flower/Plants

• Take root cuttings from perennials
• Move shrubs growing in the wrong place
• Spread a mulch over your borders
• Pot up containers with bedding displays for spring

Fruit/Vegetables

• Force Rhubarb
• Check fruits in store, removing any that show signs of rot
• Prune apples and pears to remove damaged or diseased branches
• Cover soil with polythene to protect it from rain
• Plant new fruit trees, cane fruits and bushes
• Sprout (chit) potato tubers

Greenhouse

• Clean greenhouses
• Sow onions in a heated propagator
• Prune conservatory climbers
• Bring in strawberries for early flowering and fruiting
• Take cuttings of chrysanthemums

General

• Sprinkle gritty compost over your lawn
• Wash flowerpots and seed trays
• Order seedlings and young plants for pots and bedding displays
• Net fruit trees and bushes
• Send petrol mowers for a service

March

Flower/Plants

• Prune rose bushes
• Trim winter-flowering heathers
• Lift and divide congested clumps of snowdrops and buy new ones `in the green’
• Prune winter jasmine after flowering

Fruit/Vegetables

• Force rhubarb
• Sow leeks and onions in a heated propagator
• Start spraying outdoor peach and nectarine leaves to prevent peach-leaf curl
• Sprinkle fertiliser around fruit trees and bushes

Greenhouse

• Pot up summer bulbs
• Feed winter-flowering pot plants
• Continue sowing seed of summer bedding plants
• Bring strawberries in pots under cover for early crops

General

• Build a compost heap
• Cut back any overgrown ivy
• Check borders for weeds and tackle any problem areas
• Spread mulches of bark or compost over flower-beds

April

Flowers/Plants

• Sprinkle fertiliser around roses
• Tie in clematis shoots as they grow
• Plant gladioli corms
• Cut away the dead stems from hardy shrubs
• Finish dividing large clumps of perennials

Fruit/Vegetables

• Sow outside: carrots, parsnips, lettuces, broad beans, peas, Swiss chard, leeks, spinach and kohl rabi
• Harvest early rhubarb
• Plant out onion sets and shallots
• Cover strawberries with cloches to encourage earlier fruiting
• Spray mildew on new apple and gooseberry shoots

Greenhouse

• Sow in a heated propagator in the greenhouse: tomatoes, celery, chilli peppers, melons and aubergines
• Take cuttings from over-wintered fuchsias and pelargoniums
• Prick out seedlings
• Plant up hanging baskets and grow under cover until the end of May
• Plant begonia tubers, cannas and dahlias

General

• Cut back poinsettias to encourage new shoots
• Trim lawns if the weather is dry with blades set to high
• Treat gravel paths and drives with weed killer
• Fork over soil in borders and mix in fresh compost
• Order young plants and grow them on for your summer displays

May

Flower/Plants

• Plant out perennials
• Sow hardy annuals outside
• Feed established clumps of spring flowering bulbs
• Plant out hardy annuals raised under cover
• Trim back winter flowering heathers

Fruit/Vegetables

• Finish planting main crop potatoes
• Plant new beds of asparagus
• Sow outside: carrots, lettuces, salad leaves, baby beetroot, spring onions, radishes, kohl rabi, chives, chicory, parsley, Brussels sprouts, cabbages, calabrese, broccoli, endives, and spinach
• Sow peas and mangetout
• Hang pheromone traps in fruit trees to catch codling moths

Greenhouse

• Plant up growing bags
• Pot up rooted cuttings
• Sow tomatoes, marrows, courgettes, sweetcorn and other tender crops
• Hang yellow sticky traps above plants to trap flying pests
• Prick out seedlings that are large enough to handle

General

• Sow lawns or lay turf
• Plant water lilies and other aquatic plants
• Sprinkle fertiliser along the base of hedges and cover with mulch
• Feed lawns and treat them against moss and weeds
• Watch out for slug and snail damage

June

Flower/Plants

• Plant out dahlias and gladioli
• Sow wallflowers for next spring
• Tie in sweet peas
• Feed spring bulbs
• Plant up summer pots

Fruit/Vegetables

• Sow outside: peas, mangetout, French and runner beans, lettuces, carrots, spinach and herbs
• Plant out tender crops once all threat of frost has passed
• Thin out plants sown earlier in the year
• Thin out some of the fruits from cherries, apples, pears and plums
• Draw up the earth around the stems of potatoes

Greenhouse

• Open vents and open doors to help ventilation
• Apply shade paint to the outside of south-facing glazing and hang shade netting inside
• Plant trailing tomatoes in handing baskets
• Plant up pots of scented-leaved pelargoniums to cheer up your greenhouse
• Pot on rooted cuttings, seedlings and bulbs

General

• Sprinkle a general fertiliser around your plants and cover with a good mulch
• Water any new plants until they become established
• Spray to prevent powdery mildew
• Plant up aquatic plants in ponds
• Give your garden furniture a facelift

July

Flower/Plants

• Sow biennials
• Divide flag irises
• Feed baskets and patio pots each week with liquid fertiliser
• Take cuttings from climbers
• Pinch out the tips of chrysanthemum shoots to encourage flowers

Fruit/Vegetables

• Water early potatoes if the weather is dry
• Prune cordon gooseberry plants
• Sow outside: lettuces, radishes, spring cabbages, endives, kohl rabi, French and runner beans, spinach, turnips and beetroot
• Pick off damaged fruits from apples and pears
• Plant out sweetcorn and other crops raised under glass

Greenhouse

• Open all vents and doors early each day
• Pot on rooted cuttings Introduce natural predators to control pests such as red spider mite, whitefly and mealy bug
• Ensure growing bags never dry out
• Take cuttings from bedding plants and houseplants

General

• Remove moss from lawns
• Trim box edging and privet hedges
• Remove suckers growing around trees
• Deadhead lilac and rhododendrons
• Keep an eye out for pests and treat immediately

August

Flower/Plants

• Keep camellias well watered to avoid flower buds dropping off next spring due to drought
• Prune wisteria; shorten long side shoots back to five or six leaves
• Deadhead roses; unless they produce hips
• Trim lavender after flowering to stop it going woody
• Plant bulbs: nerines, autumn crocuses, and autumn daffodils

Fruit/Vegetables

• Continue to sow outside: lettuces, endives, kohl rabi, spring cabbages, French and runner beans, and beetroots
• Peg down strawberry runners into the soil or pots of compost for more plants
• Ensure crops are all well watered during hot weather
• Prune old fruited stems of cane fruits down to soil level
• Spray potato foliage with a copper fungicide to avoid blight

Greenhouse

• Treat container plants with nematodes if vine weevil damage is visible
• Continue taking cuttings from tender plants
• Keep the greenhouse well ventilated
• Pinch out any side shoots on tomato plants and tie in stems as they grow
• Feed plants regularly with a liquid feed

General

• Order flower bulbs for autumn planting
• Prune early flowering shrubs
• Trim lawns and edges regularly
• Deadhead border plants after flowering
• Hoe regularly to avoid weeds

September

Flower/Plants

• Prune rambling roses
• Cut back perennials once they have finished flowering
• Collect seed from perennials and store in a cool place
• Take cuttings of lavender
• Cut everlasting flowers and seed heads for use in indoor arrangements

Fruit/Vegetables

• Plant out rooted strawberry runners into new beds
• Sow outdoors: hardy spring onions, lettuces, salads and Chinese cabbages
• Sow parsley in pots for picking in winter
• Plant out Japanese onion sets and garlic
• Cut down raspberry canes once they have finished cropping

Greenhouse

• Pick off the lower leaves from tomatoes to allow light and air to reach the fruits
• Keep poinsettias in the dark for 14 hours a day to encourage colourful bract formation
• Close vents at night as the weather turns cooler
• Keep grow bags well watered
• Start watering indoor cyclamen to promote new growth

General

• Hoe borders to keep weeds down
• Prepare areas for sowing new lawns during showery weather
• Trim hedges and topiary into shape
• Buy spring bulbs
• Order sweet-pea seed for autumn planting

Find out what the experts say in this great article: Autumn Gardening Tips from the Experts

October

Plants/Flowers

• Lift and pot on tender perennials to store indoors
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs into borders and pots
• Collect up and compost leaves as they begin to fall to make leaf mould
• Plant evergreen shrubs and hedging, or move any that are growing in the wrong place
• Pull up annual climbers and cut back untidy perennial climbers; add to the compost heap

Fruit/Vegetables

• Sow green manure crops in bare spaces to dig in in the spring
• Pick apples, pears and plums as they ripen
• Sow and plant: broad beans, peas, Japanese and autumn onion sets, spring cabbages and garlic
• Bring potted herbs under cover to protect them
• Lift and store any remaining potatoes in a cool, dry place

Greenhouse

• Pot up rooted cuttings
• Plant pots of hyacinths for flowering in time for Christmas
• Check that heating equipment is working efficiently
• Bring potted azaleas indoors and water with rain water
• Water indoor cyclamen to bring them back into growth after their summer rest

General

• Buy farmyard manure or mushroom compost to dig into the soil during autumn, even better use your own compost
• Increase the height of the cut on your mower
• Spread netting over water features and ponds to prevent leaves going in
• Order roses to plant out this winter
• Cover newly planted bulbs with wire netting to prevent squirrels digging them up

November

Flower/Plants

• Pull up annuals and put on the compost heap then fork over the beds and border
• Prune rambling and climbing roses
• Pot up tender perennials from summer displays and bring under cover for the winter
• Rake autumn leaves from lawns, and pick them out from around border plants to turn into leaf mould
• Plant new hedges

Fruit/Vegetables

• Save seeds from your favourite tomatoes, herbs and other crops
• Plant hardy peas and beans
• Take hardwood cuttings from fruit bushes
• Pot up herbs to bring indoors for winter
• Plant out autumn onion sets

Greenhouse

• Bring pots of tender bulbs and perennials under cover
• Line greenhouses with bubble polythene to provide insulation
• Clean glazing, staging and matting ready for next summer
• Clear away tomatoes and cucumbers adding the waste to your compost heap
• Sow sweet peas in pots

General

• Store hoses, sprinklers and other watering equipment in the shed over winter
• Lay new lawn turf
• Protect ceramic or glazed pots from frost damage
• Order bare-rooted roses for planting in autumn
• Wrap insulation around outside taps and pipes

December

In the Flower Garden:

• Move patio containers to a sheltered spot if very cold
• Plant out Wallflowers
• Plant out new rose bushes
• Take root cuttings of suitable perennials
• Move shrubs growing in the wrong place

In the Vegetable Garden:

• Take hardwood cuttings from healthy fruit bushes
• Start pruning apple and pear trees
• Cut down Jerusalem artichokes
• Prune Gooseberry bushes Sow winter lettuces

In the Greenhouse:

• Monitor greenhouse heaters to ensure they are working efficiently
• Ventilate greenhouses on warm, dry days
• Plant up Hippeastrums (Amaryllis) bulbs
• Treat timber with preservative
• Use rainwater to keep potted azaleas moist

Lawns:

• Brush away fallen leaves
• Keep off the lawn when it is wet or frozen
• Turfing is possible during fine spells

General:

• Wrap insulation around all outside taps and pipes
• Order early from seed catalogues
• Dig compost into beds empty areas of soil
• Check tree and climber ties are secure
• Keep bird feeders clean