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This video explains what jobs to do on an allotment garden before the growing season begins. It shows practical preparation tasks that help make planting easier and more successful.
The guide covers preparing beds, improving soil, organising seeds, tidying growing areas and getting tools and structures ready for use. It also explains how early preparation reduces workload later and improves overall productivity.
If you want a more organised and productive allotment, this video provides practical beginner-friendly advice on planning and preparation before planting starts.
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0:00
What jobs to do in your a lotment and
0:02
garden in January. Welcome to Gardening
0:05
with Ben, everybody. In today's video,
0:07
we're going to be sharing tips and
0:08
advice on what you should be doing in
0:10
your garden and a lotment in January.
0:13
So, make sure you've got a notepad,
0:14
making notes, or give this video a save
0:17
until next time and watch it back. But
0:20
here's the tips and advice for January.
0:25
Clear away dead crops and spent plants.
0:29
If it's nice outside, get yourself out
0:31
in the garden. We've had a very mild
0:34
winter so far. So, a lot of my jobs have
0:37
been done already. We've got a load
0:39
cleared away, all the weeds cleared, all
0:41
the beds cleared, ready for next year's
0:43
growing. Remove any weeds that do grow
0:46
while the growth is slow during the
0:49
winter months. If you've got any
0:51
brasacas growing, cut back the brasa
0:53
leaves to reduce the pests what can form
0:56
on them.
0:58
Tidy all your paths and remove any trip
1:00
hazards. If you're like me, I'm a very
1:02
lazy gardener. I'll leave stuff dotted
1:04
around all over the place. Get those
1:05
paths cleared ready for the year ahead.
1:08
Compost any healthy plant waste, but if
1:11
it's diseased or not good, don't compost
1:14
it. Find other ways to get rid of the
1:16
old plants.
1:18
Soil preparation. Dig over any empty
1:21
beds if the weather allows. Yes, they
1:24
may be wet. They may be heavy, but it's
1:26
a good workout and you can get them all
1:29
cleared and turned over ready for the
1:31
new year. Add any well-rotted manure or
1:34
garden compost to the beds to improve
1:37
them. I always chuck my old compost on
1:39
my beds and dig it in and helps improve
1:42
the soil.
1:44
Leave soil rough to let the frost break
1:47
down. I always leave my beds uncovered
1:49
so that frost does help break it down
1:51
and dig it over and keep it maintained
1:54
ready for next year. Cover unused beds
1:58
with cardboard, fleece or membrane. If
2:00
there's beds that you're not going to be
2:02
working on in the years to come, cover
2:04
them over and keep them weedfree and
2:06
it'll keep it looking a lot more tidier
2:08
and better for next year. Pruning and
2:12
plant care. Prune any apple and pear
2:14
trees. Don't prune your stone fruits
2:17
like your plums or your cherries.
2:19
They're meant to be done at the end of
2:20
summer. So, prune any apples and pear
2:23
trees now, ready for the growth of next
2:26
year.
2:27
Prune currants, gooseberries, and
2:30
raspberries. Remove any dead or damaged
2:33
or cross branches. I don't know much
2:35
about pruning. I I'm just one of these.
2:36
I'll have a go at it and give it a good
2:39
chance. I usually take some off the top
2:41
and any that are pointing downwards or
2:44
crossing over one another to help with
2:46
the airflow.
2:47
Cut back any autumn fruing raspberries.
2:50
They can be pruned right back to the
2:51
bottom and they will grow fresh
2:54
raspberries on them next year. Whereas
2:56
summer raspberries, you leave the new
2:58
growth what grew last year and let them
3:02
fruit this year. The old ones have
3:04
usually gone brown. So you can usually
3:06
prune the old canes back.
3:10
Check any overwintering brassacas for
3:12
pests or rot on them and get rid of any
3:15
old leaves what are on them. Inspect
3:18
perennial crops like rhubarb and
3:20
asparagus. Get them all ready for
3:22
growing next year. My rhubarb started
3:24
popping through already, but don't have
3:26
hope. Don't think it's growing yet
3:28
because as soon as the frost comes, it
3:30
will kill it back and it'll usually
3:32
start again March, April time.
3:36
sewing and planting if the conditions
3:38
allow. Sew broad beans indoors and
3:41
outdoors and use a variety like
3:44
aquadulus and get sewing them. If it's
3:47
too cold outside, grow them in pots and
3:49
then plant them outside when the weather
3:51
allows. Sew onion seeds indoors. Now is
3:54
the perfect time to sew those onion
3:56
seeds. Get them growing and then plant
3:58
them out in March, April time. Sew leaks
4:02
indoors again. can get them sewing now
4:05
and you can plant them out around March
4:07
time. Sew early lettuce undercover if
4:10
you've got a poly tunnel. Get growing
4:12
some indoors and you'll get early
4:13
harvests before the other will be ready
4:16
outside.
4:18
Sew herbs indoors like parsley or chives
4:20
and then you can plant them out when
4:22
it's weather permitting.
4:25
Plant bare root fruit trees and bushes.
4:27
Now is a perfect time to plant your
4:29
fruit trees or your bushes while the
4:31
weather's wet and damp. They'll take
4:34
root a lot easier and get growing really
4:36
fast. Plant garlic if it's still cold in
4:40
your areas. Now is perfect time to plant
4:43
the garlic if you've not planted any
4:45
yet. Have a look around and get growing
4:47
some decent garlic to harvest in July.
4:51
Green houses, poly tunnels and coal
4:53
frames. Clean your green houses to
4:56
maximize the light ready for next year.
4:58
My poly tunnel needs a good wash down.
5:00
Getting rid of all the algae and getting
5:02
rid of all the dirt on it so that the
5:03
light can get through a lot easier. Wash
5:06
your pots, trays, and seed modules.
5:08
There's diseases hanging around on them.
5:10
As soon as it gets warmer, they'll spawn
5:12
and get growing again. So, give them a
5:14
good clean down and wash down. Now,
5:17
ventilate on mild days to allow to
5:20
reduce the damp inside poly tunnels and
5:23
green houses. That's what causes all the
5:25
algae and the moss. So, let the air flow
5:28
through it and let the fresh air get in
5:30
there. Repair any winter storm damage.
5:33
If your poly tunnel split or any glass
5:35
was broken, repair it now before any
5:38
more winter damage happens. If you're on
5:40
top of it, it will save you time in the
5:43
long run and it could cause a lot more
5:45
damage if you don't repair it. Wildlife
5:48
and pest control. Feed the birds
5:50
regularly. One thing that I always do, I
5:52
feed them every week. I love to see the
5:54
birds down here. Yes, they can cause
5:56
pests like rats and squirrels and mice,
5:59
but I do love to see the birds down
6:01
here. Make sure you clean them though,
6:03
so that there's no diseases on them, the
6:04
bird feeders, and you don't want
6:07
diseases spreading to the birds. So,
6:09
keep them nice and clean. Check your
6:11
netting and supports so that uh no pests
6:15
can get inside them or squirrels or
6:17
animals because there's not much
6:18
vegetation around. So, they will be
6:20
looking for food. So, check your netting
6:22
to make sure everything's okay.
6:25
Remove any slug hiding spots. If you've
6:28
got bricks lying around or if you've got
6:30
weeds built up in an area, move them
6:33
because slugs do like the wet and damp
6:35
conditions. So, keep on top of that.
6:38
maintenance and repair. Repair your
6:40
raised beds and your edging. That's one
6:42
thing that I'm doing now. I'm repairing
6:44
all the beds what have rotted so that
6:46
they're ready for next year. Fix your
6:47
fences, gates, and netting. Check sheds
6:51
for leaks because you don't want leaks
6:53
getting into the sheds. Sharpen and
6:55
clean all your tools. Get them all ready
6:57
and set for next year. Make sure that
6:59
they're all cleaned up and oiled up if
7:02
they got oil on them. and clean and
7:06
service all your tools. Planning and
7:09
organization. Plan your beds. Plan your
7:12
crop rotation for the year. Decide what
7:14
you're going to grow where and when. And
7:17
don't plant anything that's been planted
7:18
in the same place twice because it will
7:21
have taken a lot of the nutrition out of
7:23
the ground. Make a sewing calendar so
7:26
that you can see when you're going to be
7:27
sewing stuff. I've got a diary what I
7:31
make notes in so that I know when I
7:32
planted it, how it's grown, what variety
7:34
it's grown, and how well it's grown as
7:36
well. So, make a diary is a perfect
7:39
thing. Plan any new beds and layout
7:42
changes. I use the winter period as a
7:44
time of preparation and improvement to
7:47
my plot. I always improve it during the
7:49
winter months. So, it's a great time to
7:51
get it all ready before March before the
7:54
main focus of sewing all the seeds and
7:56
all the transplanting. get all your
7:58
maintenance jobs done now.
8:01
So that is all the jobs which you can be
8:03
doing in the January period. Let me know
8:06
if you've completed any of these or made
8:08
a list of them all so that you can get
8:10
them all ticked off and get them all
8:12
done during January. I hope you found it
8:14
useful. Remember to save the video,
8:16
share it to anybody that may need it.
8:18
And until next time everyone, remember
8:20
keep smiling, keep shining.
#Home & Garden
#Home & Garden