What to do in your garden during January

In temperate summer-rainfall regions do the following in your garden during January.

Plant and Sow

Annuals

Sow all summer flowering annuals like:

Perennials

Sow Perennials like:

• Iceberg roses – a constant bloomer and vigorous grower. Icebergs are ideal for mass plantings or containers.
• Gardenias – known as one of the most fragrant shade-loving plants. They have attractive evergreen glossy foliage that grows into a neat round bush. These beautiful plants love growing in well-drained, acid soil.

Vegetables

Sow vegetables like:

Garden Maintenance

Fertilize

Fertilize fruit trees, like apples, apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches, pears, plums and quinces.

• Fertilize Summer-flowering bulbs and keep them moist.
• Fertilise annuals and bedding plants with a liquid fertilizer every 14 days.

General garden maintenance

• Mow the lawn if necessary.
• Water plants properly, giving them a thorough soaking every three or four days to encourage deep root development. Mulch well with organic material.
• Red spiders can be troublesome in hot, dry weather. Spray to prevent infestation.
• Spray apples, pears and quinces against codling moth; and apricots, cherries, nectarines, peaches and plums against fruit fly. Spray grapes for mildew where necessary.
• Deadhead roses regularly and water two or three times weekly.
• Mulch the garden beds.
• Remember to deadhead annuals and bedding plants regularly and feed every 2 weeks or so with diluted liquid fertilizer.
• Continue to remove weeds from lawns and pavings.
• Deadhead summer-flowering annuals and continue feeding with a fertilizer high in potassium to prolong the flowering period.
• Lift and divide spring-flowering irises.
• Keep all perennials well watered and feed with all Purpose Fertilizer.
• Water plants originally from summer rainfall regions well. Remember to water the garden early in the morning and preferably on wind-free days.
• Feed flowering shrubs once a month.
• Feed your hydrangeas.
• Keep an eye out for red spider mite as they love the hot, dry conditions.
• Plant nerine bulbs

January maintenance tips on watering, pruning,
pests and disease, fertilizing and much more visit our countrywide maintenance guide.