It seemed like we peeled prawns and popped festive crackers over Christmas lunch only yesterday and suddenly—just like that—we rang in the new year and welcomed 2025!
January in the garden is about as tough a month as there is on the gardening calendar with the summer heat and storms potentially wreaking havoc across all the beautiful growth your trees and shrubs have toiled over since spring. On the plus side, there’s been an abundance of rain, so moisture in the soil shouldn’t be a problem as long as a good layer of mulch is maintained. However, the added humidity that accompanies all that rain and heat can mean a rise in pest and disease problems, so it pays to stay vigilant.
Falling branches can also be an issue in January, so all your trees and shrubs might benefit from a good prune to help manage the risks around branch drop from storms or otherwise. A good amount of the spring growth can be cut back but remember to leave enough to provide some added protection against the hot summer sun. Lawns too can be left longer at this time of year for the very same reason, giving some shade and protection to the roots below. Any sun-scorched or dead patches of lawn will quickly repair themselves, but to speed up the process you can rake away any of the dead sections and top-dress with sand or a sandy loam mix.
Remember to give everything a good feed with either some slow-release fertiliser or some liquid feed for more immediate uptake. A healthy amount of growth heading into autumn will have your trees and shrubs in top health before the winter arrives. Drainage issues may also come to the fore with the summer storms and rain about and any problems should be sorted out as soon as they are discovered.
A new year in the garden might mean a new plan for your garden. Whether that’s a whole new layout, a new area, or some new plantings in the autumn as the cooler months approach, now is a great time to flesh out some ideas for the year ahead. Pinterest is an excellent resource for garden inspo!
January jobs to do now:
- Tree health check
- Prune back spent spring/summer flowers
- Watch for pests and diseases
- Ensure pot plants don’t dry out