Even though January sees many gardens at rest, now’s the prime time to prep for the coming year, Dobbies advises. As a New Year dawns, eager gardeners can anticipate a bounty of homegrown crops, with Dobbies proclaiming: “It’s the start of a New Year and time for an allotment or veg patch full of new homegrown goods.”
There’s no excuse not to plan out your veg garden, with seed sowing able to commence immediately: “There are no excuses when it comes to planning your vegetable garden, and you can start sowing your seeds right away.”
Keen growers listen up – Dobbies has a feast of veggies that you can sow month by month to keep your green fingers toiling all year: “Dobbies has plenty of vegetables for you to sow each month to keep you busy all year round.”
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Mild areas can start off broad beans in pots this January, giving them shelter in a cold frame or a greenhouse free from heating: “January is the perfect time to sow broad beans in pots in mild areas, placing them in a cold frame or unheated greenhouse.”
But do hold off if you’re in the chillier nooks of the UK expecting snow, reports the Express.
For those with a greenhouse, aubergines and summer cabbages ripe by summertime are perfect to plant before this month’s end. You can also scatter seeds for lettuces, spinach, salad onions and turnips throughout January.
The specialists urge: “You can get sowing on onion seeds too, which you can sow in a heated propagator.”
It’s also ideal timing for planting fruit trees and bushes, like blackcurrants, redcurrants, whitecurrants, raspberries, gooseberries, blueberries and the bare-root types. Bare-root plants, often available come January, may take a while to settle but could be easy on your pocket.
It’s also crucial to prune apples, pears, quinces and medlars, as well as currants, gooseberries and autumn raspberries.
Broad beans can be sown this month in mild areas
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