January is a bit of a tricky month on the garden calendar. A new year, sure, but the middle of summer, extreme heat and those notorious summer storms all make it a challenging time to steer your garden through. Sudden branch drop from large eucalypts, in particular, also adds an element of risk to everything. That being said, it is an excellent month to perform tree health checks on larger tree specimens and to tidy up potential entry points for pests and disease, if there is, in fact, any storm and wind damage to the structure of a tree.
The added heat is possibly the biggest obstacle, but all going well, you’ve kept up with regular watering when needed and protected any delicate plants from the excesses of the summer sun. A simple frame to support some shade cloth works well with any shrubs low enough to benefit from the added protection from the sun, as will anything delicate you might have in pots or containers. The pots and containers, being relatively mobile, can always be trundled into the shade at this time of the year as another option. Look to place them in a spot that gets morning sun and then shade during the hottest parts of the day, which is the ideal location to go for.
As mentioned above, the risk of sudden branch drop is heightened at this time of the year, but for those of you who are unfamiliar with the term or unaware of what it is exactly, let me explain. Sudden branch drop or Summer limb drop, as it’s also known, is common in Sydney’s gum trees, where healthy-looking branches fall unexpectedly, often in hot, calm, humid summer conditions. This can be due to moisture stress, internal pressure, or unseen decay, but it’s highly unpredictable. It’s always prudent to inspect large, horizontal limbs on mature trees and call a professional arborist if you have any concerns.
A tree health check at this time of year can often reveal problems that aren’t always visible to the naked eye – especially from ground level. Caught early, the majority of tree problems can be effectively dealt with before they become a significant risk to you, your family or your property in the case of large trees. It’s not always the case that a tree has to be removed to make it safe for those living beneath its canopy.
And whilst it is a challenging month in the garden, you can always look at it as the start of a new year when new plans can be hatched – whether those plans are of a gardening persuasion or otherwise is entirely up to you!
January jobs to do now:
- Tree health check
- Prune finished spring/summer flowers
- Be alert for pests and diseases
- Extra care for pot and container plants
