GardenAdvice Gardening Calendar – 3rd Week in January 2026
Welcome to the third week of January, a pivotal time in the gardening calendar as we begin laying the groundwork for spring success. This week, gardeners should be prepared for potentially challenging weather conditions, with frost, snow, and cold winds forecast across much of the UK. While harsh weather may limit outdoor activities, it’s an excellent opportunity to focus on indoor seed sowing, planning your vegetable rotation, and preparing materials for when conditions improve.
Don’t let the weather deter you – there’s plenty to accomplish on windowsills and in sheltered spaces. This week combines essential protective measures for your garden with exciting opportunities to start the growing season indoors. From sowing sweet peas and chillies to planning your crop rotation and feeding raised beds during milder spells, these tasks will set you up for a productive and bountiful year ahead.
Remember: some of the most successful gardens are those where planning and preparation happen during the quieter winter months. So embrace the season, stay warm, and let’s get growing!
Key Actions & Advice This Week
1. Weather: Prepare for frost and snow
- Protect tender plants with horticultural fleece, cloches, or old sheets/blankets overnight
- Insulate containers by raising on pot feet and wrapping with bubble wrap or burlap
- Add extra mulch around perennials and shrubs to protect root systems
2. Indoor Sowing: Start seeds on windowsills
- Sweet peas: Start in pots on windowsill, ideal timing for spring planting
- Dahlias, sunflowers, cosmos, pyrethrum: Sow in seed trays with seed-starting compost in a warm, bright location
- Melons and cucumbers: Start on windowsill indoors using Coco Coir compost, ready to move to greenhouse in a few weeks
- Chillies: Begin sowing now for summer harvest
- Use propagator or heat mat for consistent germination temperatures
3. Spring Bulbs: Bring indoors for early flowering
- Move potted iris reticulata and daffodils from cool storage to warmer, well-lit spots
- Transition gradually to avoid shock
- Snowdrops: Organize “snowdrops in the green” (transplanting while still in leaf)
4. Cuttings: Propagate shrubs
- Take hardwood cuttings from Skimmia japonica and hydrangeas
- Cut 6-8 inch sections, remove soft tips
- Dip in rooting hormone and place in cutting compost mixed with grit
- Keep in cold frame or unheated greenhouse
5. Vegetable Garden Tasks
- Garlic bulbs: Plant cloves pointy-end up, 2 inches deep, 6 inches apart in sunny, well-draining spot
- Asparagus crowns: Plant in well-prepared bed with organic matter
- Crop rotation: Plan where vegetables will grow this year to avoid pest/disease buildup
- Feed raised beds: Apply Growmore fertiliser (handful per square metre) plus chicken manure pellets for spring nutrition
- Early crops: Prepare beds for lettuce, peas, radish, carrots under cloches once weather improves
6. Fruit Tree & Bush Care
- Winter wash: Apply to fruit trees, roses, and fruit bushes to control overwintering pests (aphids, scale, mites)
- Apple tree pruning: Schedule for late January if weather permits
- Apply on calm, frost-free days, coating trunk and branches thoroughly
7. Ornamental Garden
- Wisteria: Prune winter shoots back to 2-3 buds from main framework, train new growth
- Lavender and borders: Quick dressing of Growmore fertiliser to maintain spring flowers
- Wisteria flowering: Feed with liquid tomato feed to encourage flower formation
- Roses: Continue winter care maintenance
8. Compost Management
- Add remaining fallen leaves in thin layers
- Cover heap with old carpet or plastic to retain heat
- Check gently for hibernating wildlife (hedgehogs, toads) before adding material
9. Lawn Care
- Spike lawn: Improve drainage and root depth using aerator or garden fork
- Make holes 2-3 inches deep, spaced every few inches
- Brush top-dressing of loam and sand into holes if prone to waterlogging
- Avoid walking on frozen or waterlogged areas
General Winter Gardening Tips
- Stay off frozen or waterlogged soil to prevent compaction
- Clean, sharpen, and oil tools during quieter winter period
- Monitor indoor plants for pests (fungus gnats, spider mites, mealybugs)
- Consider using Coco Coir compost for better seedling success with greenhouse crops
- Dogs love chicken manure pellets – apply before rain or fork in lightly
Planning Ahead
- Review seed requirements and check what’s left from last year
- Consider placing seed orders with suppliers like MolesSeeds
- Plan garden developments including seating areas, decking, and wildflower meadows
- Think about summer bedding and vegetable plant orders (peppers, additional chillies)
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