Recommended Tasks and Hints for January 2022

• Prune soft fruit. For gooseberries, redcurrrants and white currants, limit branches to about 5 and create an open bush. Shorten side shoots to 2 buds and the main shoots to 3 buds. For blackcurrants, take out a third of the older, darker stems at the base.

• Feed soft fruit and fruit trees with sulphate of potash and growmore. sprinkle around base of the plants and lightly hoe into the soil surface. Mulch afterwards to hold in moisture. Check fertiliser recommended rates - too much can damage plants.

• Buy seed potatoes and start chitting in egg boxes in a cool light environment.

• Remove dead leaves and flowers in greenhouse to prevent fungal problems

• Top up gravel and bark paths . Remove any weeds beforehand.

• Get weeding! It’s best to dig out weeds rather than hoe them as the damp soil means the weeds that are hoed could easily re sprout

• Disperse worm casts on lawns - Worms are quite active at this time of year. Brush casts off regularly as, if left, they can be trodden into the surface, looking unsightly and encouraging weeds to grow in these small patches. Use a long, flexible cane and swish it back and forth to scatter the casts.You can also use a stiff broom. Try to do this when the lawn is relatively dry. The worm casts will spread more easily.