Plants in Bloom this month?
INFORMATION COMING SOON!
INFORMATION COMING SOON!
INFORMATION COMING SOON!
INFORMATION COMING SOON!
Early Winter
General Tasks and Maintenance
- To keep control of Mice and rats as they seek warm and dry shelter, put out traps and or bait.
- Protect evergreen shrubs planted in the Autumn against bitter easterly winds.
- After a heavy snowfall, shake off the snow from shrubs and trees to prevent branches snapping and breaking from the weight of the snow.
Early Winter
House Plants
- Give houseplants plenty of light and leave them on the dry side and prevent overwatering.
- Pots with bulbs, keep moist but not too hot. Once they have flowered, plant outside.
Early Winter
Gardens and in the Garden
Patio areas
- Protect expensive and sensitive trees and shrubs from the Winter weather.
- Plant trees and shrubs into containers during mild days.
Early Winter
Kitchen Garden
Fruit
- Continue to plant when the weather is mild.
- Continue to prune mature trees.
- Cut back newly planted apples, blackberries, cherries, currants, gooseberries, loganberries, pears and raspberries.
Vegetables
- Pull up turnips and swedes and store if not using straight away.
- Prepare the bed for next years runner beans.
- In the greenhouse – Lift rhubarb and chicory for forcing.
Herbs
- Protect herbs such as bay, marjoram and rosemary from the Winter weather.
Early Winter
Trees, Shrubs and Hedges
Trees and Shrubs
- Plant deciduous trees and shrubs when the weather is mild.
- Re-firms soil around all new shrubs that may have loosened by the frost.
- Tie up the branches of new conifers; this will prevent the branches from breaking if there are large amounts of snow that fall.
- Collect up fallen leaves and then compost them. Any signs of disease, burn or put into the refuse bin.
- Fushia and hydrangeas that have been grown in a pot can now be brought into a cool greenhouse.
In the Greenhouse
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Hedges
- Complete any planting of deciduous hedges if the ground is suitable, otherwise, keep in a frost-free shed or greenhouse.
Early Winter
Flowers and Plants
Hardy Herbaceous Plants
- Continue with tidying up the flower beds and borders as well as weeding around the plants.
- Prune any overgrown trees, plants and shrubs.
Perennials
Carnations and Pinks
- Add lime if the soil is below 6.5.
- Keep an eye out for rust and carnation flies.
- Order plants and prepare the bed, so it’s ready for March.
- In the Greenhouse – Ensure the temperature is maintained around 7 – 8 degrees centigrade as well as plenty of ventilation.
- Remove buds after flowering.
- Water and feed irregularly.
Chrysanthemums
- Firm the soil around the plants that are over-wintering as the frost may lift the plants.
- In the greenhouse – Ensure it is well ventilated, and the temperature is consistent at around 10 degrees centigrade.
- Take cuttings of any large varieties.
Dahlias
- Take a look at the tubers that you currently have stored.
- If you find any of them have shrunk and shrivelled in size, put them into a bucket of lukewarm water overnight.
- Cut off any dead parts of the tuber.
Gladioli
- Discard any diseased corms that have been stored.
Irises
- Continue to pick flowers regularly.
- In the greenhouse – When you see growth in the bulbous irises, water and move to a cold greenhouse to help their growth.
Lilies
- If the soil isn’t too hard, plant bulbs.
Roses
- Complete planting of roses providing the soil isn’t wet, and the surface doesn’t have frost or snow. If the conditions are not suitable for planting, store in a frost-free place until the weather improves.
- Destroy any leaves that show signs of black spot.
- In the greenhouse – bring potted roses into the Greenhouse and prune.
Annuals
Alpines
- Remove any dead leaves.
- Sow slow germinating seeds as well as any seeds that require exposure to frosts to help with germination.
Bulbs
- Lightly weed the beds of late-planted tulips.
- In the greenhouse – take a look at the bulbs in bowls and pots and move into the greenhouse. As well as protecting the bulbs this will also hasten the growth.
- Plant Lilies and support the stems of Lachenalia and Freesias.
Flowers from Seed
- Start to plan and purchase seeds for sowing in the Spring.
- Continue to dig over the beds for the Spring.
Heathers
- If the weather is mild, continue with planting.
- Remove any weeds of new plants.
- Once flowering has finished, lightly trim established heathers.
Rhododendrons and Azaleas
- If the weather is mild, continue with planting.
Sweet peas
- Once the third pair of leaves have formed of the seedlings, pinch out the tips.
- After a harsh frost, cover the sweet pea frames to prevent quick thawing.
Early Winter
Greenhouse and Cloches
- Give attention to plants that flower over the festive season.
- On sunny days, allow for ventilation.
- Remove any dead leaves/flowers and have a general tidy up of the greenhouse.
- Wash any pots and seed trays ready for the Spring.
- Use slug pellets to keep the slugs down over this period.
- Begin to insulate your greenhouse using polythene sheeting or bubble wrap to keep in the heat and prevent draughts.
Early Winter
Pond, Water Plants and Rock Plants
- Keep an area of the pond free of any ice to allow any toxic gases to enter into the atmosphere.
Early Winter
Lawn
New Lawn
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An established lawn
- Dig over areas that you wish to seed during the Spring months.
Early Winter
Wildlife
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