His Garden for January 2007

I will prepare a bed for Spring Cabbage plants potted up last October, and placed in the Grow House.

A piece of ground that was not used for brassicas last year, will be forked over, Dutch hoed, and raked over to establish a firm bed. A couple of handfuls of lime per square yard , will be raked into the surface. I will walk over the bed once, just make sure that bed is firm enough, to allow one to use a dibber. I expect the plants, will be planted out towards the end of the month.

A seed bed for an early variety of Peas will be prepared. I have found that the bed does not need to be too fine. The seed will be sown 4 or 5 inches apart, in drills approx. 2 inches deep, in double drills 6 or 7 inches apart.

Should one require more than one row, a space of approx. 18 inches would be left, before sowing another row. The seed will be covered with cloches until established. Once established the cloches will be removed, and a pea net will stretched between each double row.

A row of Broad Beans will be sown early this month. As with Peas, I have found that the bed does not need to be too fine. A dressing of lime will be applied, and raked in, at the rate of a handful per 3 foot run. The seed will be sown in three drills, 9 inches apart, 3 inches deep. Spacing the seed 7 or 8 inches apart. Should one require more than one row, I would leave 3 feet between rows.

I will prune shrubs that have flowered. Pease see January 007 for method followed.

All dead flower stalks on the borders, will be cut down to ground level. The borders tidied up, and the position of the plants marked with canes.

The Hydrangeas will not be pruned until the Spring. The dead heads help to protect the buds from frost and cold winds.

Early this month, I will prune the apple trees. The method below, is a rule of thumb that I follow.

Each branch has a leader, that is the new growth at the end of the branch.

If an established tree is making little growth, I would prune the leader back hard.

A tree making strong growth. Prune back lightly say 5 or 6 inches. Always to an outward facing bud.

On the branch there will be lateral growths, these laterals, will have buds. I prune the laterals back to approx. 1 inch from the branch, leaving 4 or 5 buds on each lateral.

Next Spring, one or two will break into growth. One of the lower buds is likely to be a fruit bud. A fruit bud is usually plump. I will prune away everything above.

Pears, I follow the same method as above.

I will continue to use the Dutch hoe between plants, before weeds appear.

The edges of lawns, and grass paths will be clipped. Where needed, the turf edges tidied up.