Monthly Jobs

• January

  • If your pampas grass is looking a bit untidy then trim the stems back but don’t cut back too far as there may be wildlife sheltering in the pampas
  • Post festive tip - shred your Christmas tree for your compost heap
  • Give your buddleja (butterfly bush) an annual hard prune
  • Prune apple and pear trees, thin out any unwanted or diseased branches
  • Give all fruit trees a winter wash. This will kill insect eggs that maybe already in the tree
  • Cut back late flowering clematis
  • Cut back perennials
  • Check all newly planted tree stakes are secure, also check fences and climbing plants are fastened
  • Incorporate mulch to existing beds and borders. This can be leaf mould or well-rotted manure. By doing this you are putting nutrients back into the soil and also increasing the temperature of the soil which helps protect plant roots over winter
  • Chit first early potatoes – unwrap the seed potatoes and place in a shallow tray or egg tray in a cool, light frost free place several weeks prior to planting
  • Plant snow drops to add a bit of colour to your garden. These quickly form clumps so can be split the following season
  • Plant bareroot plants, providing the ground isn’t frozen
  • Keep feeding the birds as they do really rely on you at this time of year
  • Start planning what seeds you are going to sow - it will soon be the busy time for sowing
  • Don’t forget to protect tender shrubs with fleece
  • If snow is forecast, tie up cordylines so it doesn’t flatten them

• February

  • Sow sweet peas under a cloche or in a greenhouse for a cheery reminder that spring is on its way
  • You can sow many seeds this month so get started
  • Brighten up pots and hanging baskets with spring flowering bedding
  • Prune late flowering clematis down to 12”
  • Apply liquid slug killer to hostas, although there is no sign of these above ground level just yet it is never too early to deal with the pests. Apply 3 or 4 times in intervals or every 2 to 3 weeks.
  • Protect fruit trees and gooseberries with netting; birds love new developing fruit buds
  • Remember not to let leaves accumulate around alpines – they will die if they’ve been left damp for too long
  • Clean and repair garden tools
  • If you haven’t already pruned your roses make a start on this mid February
  • If you were lucky enough to save slightly tender bedding plants such as geraniums the end of February is the time to repot them
  • Chit second early potatoes (see Jan jobs on how to chit)

• March

  • Divide large clumps of hostas before the leaves start to show
  • With so much fresh and tender growth about the slugs are in their element, deal with them now before it’s too late. If you like to garden organically there are different barrier methods you can use - using egg shells or grit creates a sharp surface making it difficult for the slugs to pass through, copper slug tape which give the slug a shock when trying to pass over it, beer and milk traps are made by sinking small containers into the ground leave about 2cm above ground level - slugs are attracted to the beer or milk and they will fall in and drown
  • Prune back cornus (dogwood), buddleja, (butterfly bush) and salix (willows) to produce fresh new growth, and start feeding trees and shrubs
  • Prune autumn fruiting raspberries back to ground level
  • Feed all fruit and fruit bushes with potash as this will help produce healthy strong fruit. Also if your fruit bushes were lacking in fruit this will help them by giving them an high fertiliser boost
  • Before your garden begins to fill with spring and summer flowers have one last check to see where there is space for nice winter foliage / berry plants
  • Cut back hedges before the birds start to nest
  • This month is your last chance of the season to plant bareroot plants.
  • While most first early variety potatoes are planted in April, those such as rocket should be planted in March
  • Watch out for lily beetle, this may seem a little early but at this time of year they do attack fritillaria imperialis (crown imperial) 
  • Sow dwarf French beans in pots
  • Plant strawberry runners in hanging baskets
  • Pinch out sweet peas

• April

  • Dead head daffodils and narcissi and give them a liquid feed. Be careful not to cut off the leaves as they will be needed to replenish the bulb for next year
  • Mulch and top dress herbaceous perennial and alpine beds before the new growth takes off
  • Start using moss killer on paths, patios and decking
  • Trim or cut back any undesired growth from conifers
  • Your lawn now needs some tender loving care, start mowing with the blade at its highest setting, then gradually lowering over the next few weeks
  • Feed and topdress shrubs
  • Pinch out fuchsia, sweet pea and pelargoniums to encourage heavier bushing and profuse flowering
  • Divide primroses when they have finished flowering
  • Prune pyracantha (fire thorn) shorten new growth to bring back into shape or hard prune back to renovate older or unsightly plants
  • Protect your fruit blossom from late frosts by covering them with fleece
  • Apply a high nitrogen fertiliser to give your lawn an early season boost
  • Look out for the early signs of pests and disease before they do too much damage
  • Keep spraying roses regularly for black spot, roses are highly prone to this

• May

  • Lawns should now be mowed weekly
  • Lift and divide over crowded bulbs
  • Cut evergreen hedges (not buxus) as it will keep them looking a lot neater
  • Once the risk of frost has gone plant out tomatoes, courgettes and pumpkins that have been grown under cover
  • Keep covering emerging shoots of potatoes to stop the light getting to the tubers - when light reaches the tuber they go green
  • Prune spring flowering shrubs that have finished flowering such as forsythia and spiarea
  • Put up nesting boxes for migrating birds arriving in the UK
  • Start netting all fruit at the first sign of ripening
  • Surround strawberries with straw to help protect the fruit
  • Keep dead-heading syringa (lilac) to allow new flowers to come through
  • Plant pot grown herbs such as rosemary, lavender and thyme

• June

  • Put up greenhouse shading to prevent scorch
  • Be cautious of hanging basket and container grown plants drying out as the weather becomes dryer
  • Prune and dead head border geraniums to prevent seeding and allow a second flowering
  • Pinch out the dead and withered flowers from rhododendrons, this diverts energy from seeding into producing more flower bulbs
  • Remove any spent flowers from climbing and ht roses
  • Prune any harvested grapevines
  • Watch out for viburnum beetle this month - they are found nibbling small holes in the leaves
  • June is the right time to clip buxus hedging and topiary
  • Harvest strawberries - remember the more you pick the more will come
  • Feed tomato plants
  • Don’t be alarmed if some of your apples trees lose their apples this is known as June drop
  • Perennial flowers for next year can be seeded at the end of June

• July

  • This is the best month to Prune your cherry trees just after harvesting when the trees are still in their season
  • Feed blueberries with an acid feed
  • Transplant leeks into their final position
  • Keep turning your compost heap
  • Propagate your own strawberries from the runners, any runners that root will produce a strawberry plant for you next year
  • Feed hanging baskets and planters with tomato food
  • Prune fast growing hedges like leylandii, privet and laurel
  • Remove blanket weed from ponds
  • This month it’s very important to ensure your camellias have enough water to produce a good show of flowers for you next month
  • Look out for cabbage white butterfly eggs and rub them off with your hands
  • Keep watering all plants in dry sunny conditions, hanging baskets planters and newly planted trees and shrubs will want watering daily
  • Keep on top of weeding by hoeing beds weekly
  • Keep dead heading all plants in flower unless you want to keep the seed heads
  • Provide water for the birds

• August

  • If you find yourself with some free space after harvesting, consider growing a green manure. They improve the soil and suppress weeds. Try mustard, alfalfa, buckwheat, clover, Hungarian grazing rye or phacelia
  • Feed dahlias and chrysanthemums
  • Watch out for wasps nests
  • If you have too much fruit and vegetables in your garden you can always freeze them
  • Once summer fruiting raspberries have finished cut them down to ground level
  • Tie in autumn fruiting raspberries
  • Watch out for pests and diseases – stressed plants from a lack of water are more vulnerable to pest attacks
  • Keep providing water for the birds
  • Tie in and support tomatoes
  • Remove butterfly eggs and caterpillars from brassicas. If left they will quickly munch their way through your plants
  • Don’t water the grass unless absolutely necessary. It will green up when the autumn rains arrive
  • Avoid treating grass in late summer - use treatment in autumn when it’s a little cooler and damper as it will be much more effective
  • Raise the blades on your lawn mower when cutting - it will help reduce drought stress
  • Take cuttings off tender perennials
  • Prune wisteria – remove all wispy side shoots
  • Don’t cut back grasses as they will provide winter interest into your garden
  • Watch out for rust on your chrysanthemums as they are prone to it this month
  • Powdery mildew is also common this month – if you have mildew avoid feeding the plants as high nitrogen in the soils will encourage it to spread. To treat powdery mildew organically use milk in a water spray bottle and spray all the leaves 2-3 times a week until it has gone
  • Prune summer flowering shrubs once they have finished flowering
  • Divide herbaceous perennials – this is the best month for root growth so doing it now will get them settled in before the winter arrives. Water them in well and keep them watered
  • Look out for clematis wilt – if spotted, prune out any affected branches and leaves
  • Trim lavender plants after they have finished flowering without pruning into old wood
  • Keep feeding all hanging baskets and pots with tomato feed to encourage extended flowering

• September

  • Keep your camellias and rhododendrons well watered at this time of year to ensure that next year's buds develop well
  • Help your pumpkins ripen in time for Halloween by removing any leaves shadowing the fruits
  • When beans and peas finish cropping simply cut the plant away at ground level, leaving the roots in the soil. These crops fix nitrogen which is slowly released into the soil as the roots break down
  • Cover your brassicas with netting to prevent birds making a meal out of them
  • Clean out your greenhouse to reduce the risk of pests and diseases next year
  • You can feed your lawn with an autumn fertilizer now, which is rich in potassium and low in nitrogen
  • Sow/ lay new lawns. September is the perfect month as the weather gets a little cooler
  • Plant onion sets and garlic ready for next year
  • Plant autumn flowering bedding to cheer up garden as other plants start to finish flowering. Antirrhinums, pansies, violas, bellis and wall flowers all will give a splash of late colour to your gardens
  • Don’t not let camellias and rhododendrons dry out or it will effect next year’s budding
  • If you have clay soil now is the best time to improve it before it becomes too wet or frozen. Incorporate organic matter and/ or horticultural grit
  • Start thinking about what spring flowering bulbs you want to plant as now is the perfect time and it is much cheaper to buy now rather than buying them in pots
  • Raise pots off the ground by placing pot feet under them to stop the frost from cracking them
  • If you can install water butts into your garden, rain water is fantastic for acid loving plants such as viburnums, acers, blueberries and rhododendrons
  • Plant hyacinth bulbs ready for Christmas; hyacinths have a wonderful fragrance to fill your house with scents

• October

  • Check your garden for tender plants and cover them up with fleece
  • Move any shrubs which were planted in the wrong place
  • Cut back willow and dogwood to ground level
  • Plant bareroot hedges, trees and fruit trees
  • Feed all fruit and fruit trees with potash to help boost fruiting for next year
  • Keep collecting fallen leaves; they are great for pests to hide in over the winter months
  • Rake leaves off the lawn or the grass underneath will die
  • Keep planting autumn bulbs
  • Wash down your greenhouse and wash all pots out
  • Prune away any suckers for plants and trees
  • Plant winter salads and all year round cauliflowers
  • Check all trees are secure and staked correctly
  • Your summer hanging basket will have finished flowering. Now is the perfect time to replant with autumn flowering plants which will flower straight through to spring. Under plant with bulbs to give extra colour
  • Prune apple and pear trees to remove congested, badly placed, damaged or diseased branches

• November

  • Turn your soil over and leave it roughly dug so that the frosts can break it down. This improves the texture of the soil and will make it easier to work next spring
  • Cut back late flowering summer perennials
  • Wrap grease bands around fruit trees
  • Sow sweet peas
  • Cover compost heaps to stop the rain from taking all the nutrients away this will also help keep the heat in
  • Divide old rhubarb crowns
  • Replenish the soil with plenty of organic manure
  • Check the pH of your soil pH is measured on a scale of 1-14, with 7 being neutral, below 7 is acidic (or ericaceous) and above 7 alkaline (or limey). A level of 6.5 to 7 is good for most plants. If your soil is acidic then you can raise the pH a little, for example from 5.5 to 6.5, by adding lime
  • Protect winter brassicas from pigeons. As the weather gets colder, pigeons may start to eat the leaves of brassicas. Protect your brassicas with netting as they can quickly destroy your crop

• December

  • Bring your Christmas tree inside. If your Christmas tree has spent the year in the garden, then dig it up in plenty of time for Christmas. You don’t want to be digging into frozen ground when you’ve decided it’s time to bring it indoors
  • Take hardwood cuttings of blackcurrants, redcurrants and gooseberries. Choose this year’s growth and make a straight cut below a bud at the base and an angled cut above a bud at the top. Cuttings should be 20cm (8in) long for blackcurrants and 30cm (12in) long for redcurrants and gooseberries. Insert the cuttings directly into soil or into a pot filled with cuttings compost
  • Prune and mulch blueberries once the leaves have fallen to encourage new growth. Use your Christmas tree cuttings for mulch to provide an acidic matter
  • Keep your garden tidy – weed and rake up leaves on a regular basis