{"id":879,"date":"2026-01-18T13:36:40","date_gmt":"2026-01-18T12:36:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/?p=879"},"modified":"2026-01-20T13:40:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T12:40:14","slug":"january-tasks-notes-for-sally-burns","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/january-tasks-notes-for-sally-burns\/","title":{"rendered":"January \u2013 Tasks & Notes for Sally"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Sally’s garden is slightly acidic overall with thin acidic soil beneath the beech tree; the front is gravel (sunny\/dry) and the side garden is shady and needs soil improvement and shade-tolerant planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Priority tasks (this month)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improve soil under the beech (Top priority)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spread a thin layer of spent mushroom compost<\/a> or well-rotted leaf mould and gently work into the top 5\u201310 cm (avoid heavy digging near roots). This builds humus, improves moisture retention and helps new plants establish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cut back & mulch strawberries; plan fruit protection<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Remove old runners and diseased foliage, then apply a light mulch to protect crowns over winter. Plan fruit cages\/netting for birds in spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plant or prepare bare-root fruit trees (pear\/cherry\/peach)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

January\u2013March is the prime window for bare-root planting<\/a>. Plant to correct depth, stake and water in thoroughly. For peaches, remove dead wood now and plan structural pruning while fully dormant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repot\/move tender pots (e.g., hibiscus)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Repot into ericaceous compost if required and move to a frost-free spot\/shelter. Reduce but don’t stop watering \u2014 do not let compost dry out completely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Plant-specific tasks & notes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Beech border (shade + acid soil):<\/strong> Add organic matter (spent mushroom compost \/ leaf mould). Choose acid-tolerant, shade-loving plants for understorey. Avoid heavy digging near tree roots.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hydrangeas & acid-loving shrubs:<\/strong> Top up with acid mulch (leaf mould or spent mushroom compost). Keep mulch away from stems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hibiscus (potted):<\/strong> Repot into ericaceous compost<\/a> (12\u2033 pot recommended in the report) and shelter from frost; reduce watering but keep compost lightly moist.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raspberries \/ Blackberries:<\/strong> Remove fruited canes on autumn varieties, thin summer types as needed, tie in new canes<\/a> and tidy the rows. Plan bird protection.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Blueberries:<\/strong> Maintain acid soil (ericaceous compost or mulch) and protect roots with mulch. Blueberries cope better in containers if the soil is not acidic enough.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Fruit & vegetable tasks (based on your Grow-Your-Own list)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sally’s selected crops: Beetroot; Carrots; Courgettes; Parsnips; Potatoes; Swede; Turnips; Strawberries; Blackberries; Blueberries; Raspberries; Gooseberry; Peach; Pear; Cabbage; Onions; Peas; Spring Onions; Cucumbers; Runner beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Seed & material planning:<\/strong> Order seeds, seed potatoes and onion sets now. Plan rotations and sowing slots for peas, onions, potatoes, courgettes, cucumbers and runner beans.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Potatoes:<\/strong> Plan seed potato planting<\/a> for March; check stored potatoes for rot and store in cool, dark conditions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Onions \/ Spring onions:<\/strong> Order onion sets and plan February\u2013March planting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Peas \/ Broad beans:<\/strong> Prepare beds (add compost) and plan supports for peas. Broad beans can be sown outside in sheltered spots in late winter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Root veg:<\/strong> Protect any roots left in ground with straw or heavy mulch; plan early spring sowings for carrots\/beetroot and early sowings for parsnips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Courgettes & Cucumbers:<\/strong> Clear spent plants, remove diseased foliage (do not compost diseased material) and tidy beds for spring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pests, disease & wildlife notes<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Winter wash for fruit & roses:<\/strong> On a mild, calm day, apply an appropriate winter wash<\/a> to reduce overwintering pests \u2014 follow product instructions, avoid freezing temperatures. Remove and destroy diseased foliage (don’t compost it).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slugs:<\/strong> Use a combined approach \u2014 beer traps or black bin-liner traps to monitor\/control numbers, encourage toads by providing shelter, and use nematodes<\/a> once soils are ~5\u00b0C and moist. Nematodes work best as temperatures rise.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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General garden tasks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lawn:<\/strong> Plan overseeding for thin areas (use a fescue mix for shade). Consider bio-lime where the lawn pH is low. Avoid work if soil is very wet.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Compost:<\/strong> Turn and insulate the heap<\/a>; check for hibernating wildlife before disturbing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Paths & decking:<\/strong> Schedule a winter clean for a mild, dry day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Containers:<\/strong> Insulate and shelter tender pots, reduce watering, and ensure pots don’t alternate freezing\/thawing.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sally’s garden is slightly acidic overall with thin acidic soil beneath the beech tree; the front is gravel (sunny\/dry) and the side garden is shady and needs soil improvement and shade-tolerant planting. Priority tasks...<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":858,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-879","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-gardening-notes"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=879"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/879\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/858"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=879"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=879"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/gardenadvice.co.uk\/sally\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=879"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}