Gardeners Calendar - Winter
1. Planting 2. Christmas Evergreens 3. Hedging 4. Trees 5. Instant colour 6. Grow your own 7. Growing Potatoes
8. Garden Ponds 9. Greenhouse Matters 9. Tool Care
Planting
Winter creates the very best conditions for planting new trees and shrubs in your garden, providing the ground is not frozen or waterlogged. Most trees, shrubs and perennials become dormant over the winter months, so it’s a good time to move established plants and to plant new one.
Also as your plants die back for winter it creates new spaces for new plants. Use this as the perfect opportunity to tidy up the garden and to add new plants to the gaps that have formed. Spaces in the flower border can be filled with new perennials.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Xmas Rose or Helleborus Niger. This winter flowering perennial adds seasonal colour and with its dark green leaves, is ideal when used in a Christmas container or display.
Primula Speaes or Primroses. Very hardy and flowers in many different, vibrant colours but beware, they need damp conditions and good drainage to be allowed to fully thrive.
Christmas Evergreens
Evergreen plants are popular at Christmas because they represent ‘life everlasting’. Holly and ivy are just two of the symbolic plants used during the festive season. Plant evergreens in the garden now to grow your own supply of beautiful fresh material for table decorations, door wreaths and living swags to decorate the festive home.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Ilex Aquafolium (Holly). This is very slowing growing; however with its shiny green leaves and attractive berries, it is well worth the wait. Ideal for wildlife and is usually found as a bushy shrub or small specimen tree.
Clematis Cirrhosa ‘Jingle Bells’. With its creamy bell shaped winter flowers, this plant makes the perfect festive evergreen. Extremely drought tolerant, it may not survive severe winters but does retain its leaves throughout the year.
Hedra Helix Gold Child. This ivy is very low maintenance and hardy too. It has no flowers or berries and does not need a particular soil type; this medium climber is one of the easiest evergreens to tend to.
Hedging
If you are thinking about a new garden boundary then consider planting a hedge. It’s a wonderful, natural screen in the garden and if you choose the right plants it will provide shelter and nesting sites for a whole range of wild birds. Bare root hedging plants are in stock now and make a quick to establish and economic choice, especially if you plan to plant a long hedge. Alternatively you can choose from a variety of container grown hedging plants, which can be planted all year round. Impatient gardeners can choose mature/established plants to plant now for an instant hedge effect in their garden.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Rosa Rugosa. This is a large, bare rooted, dense rose. It has a potent scent, with bright pink and fuchsia flowers set against a back border of light green leaves. An effective summer hedge that is eye catching and disease free.
Euonymus Japonica ‘Bravo’. This evergreen shrub definitely stands out and is typically grown as a hedge, but is also used effectively in the border. It Suits full sun / partial shade.
Prunus Laurocerasus Rotundifolia. A dense and bushy shrub, with large, glossy, dark green leaves can be grown in either full sun or shade. It is fully hardy, fast growing and forms a dense hedge.
Trees
Even in winter many trees create a magical statement in the garden. Trees create height, structure and interest within the garden and in the winter many take on a whole new appearance. Look out for trees with stunning winter bark, glorious bare branches and rich green cloaks of evergreen leaves. Each and every one will make a stunning statement in the garden.
As long as the soil is not frozen or waterlogged you can continue to plant right through the winter, but be sure to incorporate plenty of planting compost.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Conifers. These evergreens thrive at high altitude so are prone to being in particularly cold conditions, but will become high risk if they are not well watered or if water turns to ice in a prolonged cold period.
Betula Pendula or Silver birch. Fast growing but don’t mature until they are about 40 years old. They are best planted in moist but well drained soil in full sun or partial shade.
It is essential that the root ball makes good contact with the surrounding soil, so be sure to firm it in well with plenty of extra planting compost and also water well after plating so that any air pockets in the compost are quickly infilled.
• If you are investing in a valuable specimen tree or simply need assistance with planting, consider the new Premium Planting Service, available at Woodcote Green. Enquire at customer services for details.
• Check on newly planted trees. You may find that the compost/soil mixture has settled and sunk a little around the base of the tree. If so, fill in the sunken area with a dedicated planting compost and firm gently.
Woodcote Green recommends:
J.A. Bowers Rose, Tree & Shrub compost, 60 litres. A reduced peat compost that has an open texture, which is needed for strong root development. Good for about a year before all the nutrients are gone but it does need to be well mixed in with soil.
Levington’s Multipurpose, 56 litres. With a 25% more water absorbent feature, this all round, general compost is great for planting and has such a superior texture, that it allows the plant to get strong roots early on.
Mulch around your tree with an appropriate mulch.
• Even over the winter you can get dry spells when no rain falls at all. This is the time to check on any newly planted trees. In dry weather water them thoroughly twice a week. If in doubt scrape away the top surface of the soil to see how far down the water has soaked after watering. It needs to reach right down to the roots, approximately 12.5-15cm deep (5-6 inches), to ensure that the tree can absorb the water. If you continually just wet the soil surface you will encourage roots to form higher up where they are much more susceptible to damage from extremes of temperature.
• When the soil is wet and saturated apply a mulch around the base of your trees. This will improve the overall appearance of the garden and also reduces moisture loss through evaporation at the soil surface. It will also insulate the tree roots from extreme heat or cold. For newly planted trees this is particularly important. Top up existing mulches around trees that have been mulched previously.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Westland Landscape Bark, 100 litres. This is a perfect solution if you’re looking for a professional finish to a border or flower bed. Acts as a weed suppressant, therefore cutting down on weeding time and creates a rustic look to any garden.
Stable Manure, 80 litres. This natural manure is a 100% organic, superb mulch and is ideal to use all year round. Use to improve structure of the soil and aid water retention.
Instant colour
Plant winter bedding now for instant colour in the garden. Plant up pots and containers and move them to important sites around the garden, such as by the front door, in a prominent position on the patio or in view of the window. Choose from a variety of colourful and interesting plants in the bedding plant area at Woodcote Green now.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Winter Pansies. This particular type of winter bedding will come to full flower in early spring time, however small blooms will appear in mild spells throughout the winter season.
Polyanthus. Will produce early winter flowers before a main spring flush.
Violas. The newer varieties in particular will flower into December, but will not bloom again until spring time.
• Don’t forget that many other plants have presence in the winter. Many ornamental grasses don’t die down to the ground for the winter and make excellent container plants.
Grow your Own
Winter is not a natural time for seeds to germinate, they need warmth, light and a little moisture to spurt into growth and although you can provide all three of these in a heated greenhouse, or using a propagator, you need to bear in mind that these plants will be very fragile and probably intolerant to the cold. This means that they will need extra molly coddling until the weather warms up (read expensive heating needs) and they are usually frost tender, so they will not thrive in the cold.
A handful of seeds should be sown early in the season, these include early greenhouse tomatoes, but remember that these will need constant warmth and care for many weeks. You can also sow some hardy annuals and some salad crops in January.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Thomson and Morgan Tomato ‘Gardener’s Delight’. This bite sized, sweet tomato is ideal for salads and is packed with vitamins. Needs well drained soil and can be grown in full sun either outside or in a greenhouse.
Thomson and Morgan Sweet pea ‘Flying the Flag’. Voted Flower of the Year 2008, this tri coloured mixture of red, blue and white has a strong fragrance and is a hardy annual. It is a climber and ideal for arches, obelisks and trellis.
Thomson and Morgan Salad Leaves ‘Niche Mixed’. An innovative blend which can be harvested all year round and a staple ingredient in winter salads. Suitable for containers on patios, these can be grown in full sun.
Instead of forcing seeds into early growth plan ahead and choose what you want to grow for the coming season. Spend some time selecting seed varieties from the hundreds of fresh packets of seed on display at Woodcote Green. There’s a huge choice available from several reputable seed suppliers, so you can choose whatever you want to grow now and then spend time working out when and where you intend to plant them.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Thomson and Morgan Runner Beans ‘Scarlet Emperor’. This good quality, ultra reliable runner bean is perfect for anybody to grow. Very fleshy with long, straight pods, this makes for a very good all rounder.
Thomson and Morgan Beetroot ‘Boltardy’. This is one of the best beetroots available. Well flavoured and a generous cropper, it is good for early sowings and stores well for use during winter.
Thomson and Morgan Spring Onion ‘White Lisbon’. Particularly easy to grow, this prefers fertile soils and produces a mild flavour. Can be grown in succession and is quick to mature.
Growing Potatoes
One of the easiest garden vegetables to grow are potatoes, they are also very rewarding. You don’t need a huge garden and can even grow just a few plants in a container or growing bag.
For the earliest crop of potatoes in early summer you need to choose a variety that matures early. These are called First Earlies. If you are new to growing potatoes these are the most rewarding ones to grow as they will be ready when new potatoes are expensive in the shops and mature before many potential potato pest and disease problems, such as Potato Blight that can be troublesome in wet summers and in certain areas. Look out for First Early varieties such Rocket, Arran Pilot and Foremost.
First Earlies also tend to make smaller plants and so take up less space in the garden, an important consideration if growing space is limited.
Later maturing potatoes, called Second Earlies, Maincrop Potatoes and Salad Potatoes are also available. These will product a crop that matures later than the First Earlies. Salad potatoes are a great choice if you are short on space, or why not try growing just a few potatoes of three of four varieties that mature in consecutive months. This extends the cropping season and provides fresh potatoes throughout the growing season.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Seed potato ‘Arran Pilot’. Greyish white flesh with a firm waxy texture, this seed potato doesn’t disintegrate on cooking, nor does it discolour. It has a pleasing taste and good blight resistance.
Thomson and Morgan Potato Sack. Well made and strong, this will store all types of seed potatoes safe and dry when needed.
Bayer Garden ‘Dithane 945’. This particular protective fungicide comes in readymade sachets and will help prevent fungal disease such as blight. Active ingredient is mancozeb.
Buying Seed Potatoes
Start looking at Woodcote Green from January and buy seed potatoes as soon as you can. If you have a small garden or are trying them for the first time, don’t be too adventurous; just buy one or two packs to start off with. Choose quick cropping varieties such as First or Second Earlies that will produce lovely new potatoes when they are expensive to buy in the shops.
If you are more experienced or have a larger garden then consider buying several varieties that mature in different months to prolong the harvest and provide fresh potatoes throughout the season.
Preparing to grow your potatoes
Unpack your seed potatoes as soon as you get them home. Lay them out in a single layer in wooden trays lined with thick newspaper. If you have bought them very early you need to keep the seed potatoes in a dark, cool, but frost-free place until February when you can allow them to sprout, (chit). Otherwise start them chitting as soon as you have bought them. It simply gives them a head start and encourages your seed potatoes into growth before they are planted. Chitting allows them to form good, strong and sturdy shoots that will grow away much faster than unchitted potatoes after planting.
Chitting
Sort through the seed potatoes and identify the end that has lots of sprouts forming, this is sometimes called the rose end. This needs to be exposed to the light to promote the growth of the shoots. The best way to do this is to place each seed potato into an empty egg box or egg tray with the rose end uppermost. This will allow these shoots to develop. Keep them in a light frost-free place for the shoots to develop. This will take up to six weeks. If the shoots are small and green then the tubers may be too cold, if they become thin and yellow then the temperature could be too warm or they may not be getting enough light. They should be about 5cm (2in) long and dark green in colour; they are then ready to plant out.
Planting
The spring weather can be very unpredictable and may still be too cold to plant the potatoes even in April. Potatoes must be protected from frost, so if the ground in frozen it’s better to keep them frost protected in their chitting trays than to risk planting them out. However, the sooner you get your First Earlies planted the quicker they will spring into growth. Ideally they should be planted during March or April if the conditions are right. Second Earlies and Main Crop potatoes can be planted from April onwards.
Potatoes need plenty of room above and below to develop. It’s a good idea to spread them out when planting with at least 30-45cm (12-18in) between tubers and the same between rows. Plant them 6-8 inches deep for the best results and cover them over with crumbly soil.
Garden Ponds
Winter is a challenging time for the water gardener. If you have fish in your pond it is essential to make sure that they can breathe, especially during cold and icy weather. You can use a dedicated pond heater to keep your water feature above freezing.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Bermuda pond heater. This heater allows more oxygen to the pond by releasing toxic gases in the water caused by breakdown of vegetation and waste matter. It keeps ice at bay during the winter period, and in some cases this could save the lives of your fish. Comes with a free thermometer.
• Float a ball on the surface of the water near to the edge and if the pond freezes over you can remove this to create an air hole. Keep checking on it regularly to make sure the new air hole doesn’t freeze over.
• In the winter it’s essential not to over-feed your fish. They are not active and only need a specialist winter-feed to keep their body weight up. This ensures that any wasted food is kept to a minimum.
Woodcote Green recommends:
Kockney Koi Winter Stix. To be fed when fish are actively seeking food during the colder months of the year. Fish should be fed on a high wheatgerm diet, with the amount depending on the temperature of the water, often being the case that less food more often is always best.
Tetra Wheatgerm. Comes in pellet form – either sinking or floating and is specially blended for the English climate and dietary requirements of your pond fish.
• For more information on winter pond care, come and talk to the experts at Woodcote Green.
Greenhouse Matters
If you are using your greenhouse to overwinter plants then it is essential to have some form of greenhouse heating. Even if you have a trusty heater, check it over regularly to make sure it is functioning properly. A failed heater can cost a fortune in lost plants.
• Insulate the greenhouse with bubble wrap to save on heating costs. You may not have to heat the whole greenhouse; you might be able to section off part of it and just heat a small area. Take a look at your options; a heated bench with soil warming cables or a large electric propagator may suit you needs. Look at what really needs to be kept in the greenhouse and consider the needs of every plant. Some may be fairly frost hardy, while others may need to comfort of a heated room in the house.
• On a bright sunny day create some ventilation in the greenhouse by opening a window and letting the airflow, but be sure to close it up again at night.
• Choose a sunny day to wash the windows of the greenhouse. Any algae and dirt on the glass will restrict the light flow to the plants inside.
Pots and containers
• Good drainage is essential for garden pots and containers in the winter. Lift them up onto pot feet to make sure that any excess water drains away and avoid them from becoming waterlogged.
• Pots can be moved to the shelter of the house wall for protection.
• If severe weather threatens then potted plants can be wrapped in several layers of horticultural fleece, this allows light in and air to circulate but provides several degrees of frost protection.
• If waterlogged compost in a container freezes the pot will probably crack, so it’s important to do something about the drainage before that happens. If necessary empty the pot out completely and free up the drainage hole. Use some broken flower pots (crocks) at the bottom to create some air spaces in the compost and to let the water out, without all the compost falling out the holes.
Add a layer of gravel to enhance the drainage further and then half fill the planter with compost. Choose a free draining compost such as a loam based John Innes blend.
Woodcote Green recommends:
‘John Innes Compost’. Soil based and contains loam, peat, sand, grit and fertiliser. No. 1 is for sowing large seeds and pricking out and usually suits young plants. No. 2 is used for potting up and potting on, this will suit established plants and can be used with house plants and vegetable crops as well. No.3 is for final potting of gross feeding vegetable plants and mature foliage plants. It has a rich mixture and can be used for indoor or outdoor use. Replant your container plants into this and keep a check on it.
Tool Care
Treat your garden tools stored in the shed or garage to some tender loving care. Make sure they are clean before you store them away for the winter. Wipe them over with an oily rag to create a protective layer over the metal parts and spray any moving parts on cutting tools with a lubricant spray.
Store your tools safely in the garage and shed making sure they are locked away safely for the winter.
Get your lawnmower and garden machinery serviced now before the start of the season.
Machine Care
You wouldn’t dream of not servicing your car on a regular basis, but when it comes to garden machinery its surprising how this vital practice is often overlooked. The engine on a lawnmower or garden machine is a very finely tuned device that needs regular care and attention. Missing an annual service might seem like it saves some money, but in the long term it really will cost you more. What’s more on anew machine it can invalidate your warranty and shorten the life of your mower.
So before you fire up your trusty lawnmower this spring do yourself a big favour, at the very least follow the check list below and gently prepare your mower for its rude awakening, but preferably book it into a tried and trusted service department for a proper service and safety check.
Lawnmower Care tips
There are lots of things that you can do to prolong the life of your mower and avoid unnecessary cost when it comes to repairs.
• Look after the battery over the winter, don’t just abandon it, put it on a small trickle charger for a day or so to bring it up to a decent level before starting the mower
• Check the acid level in the battery and if it’s low then top up with distilled water.
• Petrol goes stale and will damage the engine if you try and start it up with old fuel still in it. The best thing to do is to use up the tank of fuel at the end of the season, but if you haven’t been able to do that then carefully drain it out and take it to the amenity tip for disposal. In the spring when you want to use the mower replenish with fresh unleaded fuel and use a fuel stabiliser to keep it fresh.
• If you are having trouble starting a petrol machine, then the easiest thing to try is changing the spark plug. Your local machinery specialist will be able to help you choose the correct type.
• Check the oil and scrape off the excess grass from underneath. It doesn’t do the mower any good and on a steel deck mower will actually enhance corrosion.
• If your machine is electrical then it’s important to check over the whole cable before starting it in spring. It’s surprising how easily the cables are damaged or pulled out.
• Remember that you shouldn’t be using a mains electric machine unless it is plugged into an RCD.
• If your electric mower won’t start then check the fuse. Then check the power supply you are using, plug something else into it that you know works to see whether the problem is at the socket