Things to do in the garden this month by Ian Clemens

  • There’s still time to plant daffodil bulbs and other spring flowering bulbs.
  • Plant out spring bedding displays of pansies, violas and primulas.
  • Start to plant bare-root roses – they can be planted any time between now and March.
  • Continue to lift dahlia tubers, begonias and gladiolus corms to store dry and frost free, over the winter months. Remove the dead foliage before storing.
  • Cut back the yellowing foliage of herbaceous perennials, and lift and divide overcrowded clumps to maintain their vigour.
  • Lift parsnips after the first frosts when their flavour will have sweetened.
  • Divide mature clumps of rhubarb once they are dormant.
  • If you have access to fresh manure, now is the time to spread it across the surface of your vegetable beds to rot down over winter.
  • Stake top-heavy brassicas and draw up some soil around the base of the stem to prevent wind rocking the plant and causing damage to the roots.
  • Check potatoes in storage and remove any shoots that may have formed.
  • Now is the ideal time to plant currant bushes whilst they are dormant.
  • Plant raspberry canes now for a delicious home grown crop.
  • Check fruits in storage and promptly remove any showing signs of disease or rotting.
  • Tidy up your strawberry plants – cut off any dead leaves and remove runners.
  • Prune pear and apple trees anytime between now and February. But don’t be tempted to prune your plum trees now as they will be susceptible to the silver leaf fungus – wait until midsummer.
  • Apply glue bands or grease bands to the trunks of fruit trees to prevent wingless female winter moths climbing the trunks and laying their eggs in the branches.