January Gardening Jobs
Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and New Year, with plenty of food, fun and time with family. Now that it’s 2012, we can’t wait to start a new year of tree growth and life.
January isn’t a month with a huge amount to do in the garden (lucky with the cold weather, we hear you say!), and you’d be right. The weather has been particularly poor recently, which is why we wanted to share a short and helpful January gardening guide.
Rather than give an exhaustive list of all the gardening jobs that could be done, we thought we’d outline a few key tasks that will help you take care of your trees during the colder months.
Gardening Jobs for January
The weather has been especially bad across the UK, with strong and persistent winds. Young trees are particularly susceptible to damage in these conditions. If branches split now, it can affect growth later in the year.
Where possible, tie young trees back to a fence or sturdy post to reduce wind damage and give them extra stability.
Leaf Drop
Leaf drop is a common issue for citrus trees at this time of year, especially if they experience sudden changes in temperature. If you’re noticing leaves falling, take a look at our guide on how to deal with citrus tree leaf drop.
Lemon tree leaves close up
Young Trees
Young trees are particularly prone to frost damage. Evergreens, in particular, can suffer during cold snaps, so give them a helping hand by positioning them closer to the house where they’ll gain a little extra protection.
Frosts aren’t kind to trees such as the olive tree, so covering them during harsher frosts is a sensible precaution.
Bay trees and olives can be treated harshly by frosts
Deciduous Trees
Deciduous trees and most native trees will be absolutely fine at this time of year. They are dormant and won’t be affected by low temperatures.
If you’ve received a tree sapling, it can be stored in a cool, dark place for a couple of weeks until conditions improve and you’re able to plant it outside.
Holly Trees
Holly trees are particularly thirsty plants. If your holly is still in its original pot and hasn’t yet been planted out, make sure it receives plenty of water so it doesn’t dry out.
Berries on holly trees look especially striking at this time of year