The Garden House Tasks for January

Posted:11 January 2025

Bear in mind these tasks are not a comprehensive look at all garden aspects, but relate directly to our monthly work in the Garden House garden, inspiring and teaching the volunteers, students and Friday group gardeners who get stuck in and support the development of this unique Brighton garden.

*sow sweet peas if you haven’t already, also sow Iceland Poppies, Cup and Saucer vines (Cobaea scandens), Nicotiana and Petunias, Cleomes,  All except sweet peas need heat to germinate You can also start off Anthuriums now to flower in June

*prune freestanding apple and pear trees – don’t be tempted to remove more than a third, as this will send the tree into shock – remove dead, diseased and crossing branches to create an open goblet shape that let’s the air circulate

*cut Hellebore leaves off at the base to stop the spread of black spot and expose the flowers – feed with a liquid seaweed fertiliser at the same time

*watch out for winter weeds and remove before they start to grow and go to seed

*force rhubarb to get tender stems by excluding light with a rhubarb forcer or a bucket or large flower pot  turned upside down – put a heavy brick or stone on stop to stop it blowing away

*dead-head winter bedding – such as Violas and Primulas

*prune Wisteria – cut back the side shoots to two or three buds – be careful not to cut off the flower buds

*continue to prune Roses including Hybrid teas and Floribundas later in the month

*prune deciduous shrubs now they have lost their leaves and you can see the framework – remove a third of the older stems to allow new flowering stems to grow

*bring in strawberries and pot them up for early cropping and prune out a third of the old wood on black currants – redcurrants and gooseberries should be pruned back to one bud on the side shoots

*plant bare rooted trees and shrubs now which are cheaper than buying container grown plants and often make better specimens as they have been field grown

*check watering of containers if they are under cover and unable to access rain water