Planting the seeds for another perfect year in the garden
points out that January is the perfect time of year for taking stock and starting projects.
I may have mentioned before that January was named for the Roman God Janus, who presided over all beginnings and transitions — hence the idea of New Year resolutions and prosperous changes to be undertaken around about now.
However, the god and the month actually derives from the Etruscan word janua meaning door, and although it is one of those months that it is better to look out the window before walking out the door, it is as good a time as any to resume gardening proper or start a project.
Hat and scarf and gloves on, (don’t wear the Roman sandals) its safe otherwise to venture out and pick up where you left off or start afresh. It is not too late to send off for seed catalogues and it is perfect timing to see the skeletal structure of the garden and plan the position of your crops and their rotation.
Take a notepad-stroll around your space to visualise those dreams that beneath your feet, will nurture your belly and soul in the months to come. And do dream — growing doesn’t all have to be in rows or raised beds; a trellis over the shed will hold hops for homebrew or just to have for a nice cup of tea to help you sleep better.
Hops are in the same family as cannabis and as we have cannabinoid receptors in our skin, a few hops in the bath can ease all the pains that CBD oil works on too.
Or a pergola over a sunny patio will provide growing space for some passionfruit – not only delicious but a plant source of vitamin A for a warding-off of macular degeneration, as well as immune-system boosting vitamin C (around 30 mg per 100 g).
Janus had two faces one to look to the future and one to look to the past. The hint this month is to look both ways, not just crossing the road — beware what you plant, as frosts are only starting in most places now.
And yes once upon a time January was the month of hard frosts, and predictably so, but we are amidst an epoch of climate change and the ground may not be as solid every year.
So we can dig holes some years and plant trees and shrubs and climbers that may yield some beneficial herbal teas or healthy beverages. Think linden, hawthorn, birch, jasmine, honeysuckle.
Milder Januaries, generally mean wetter Januaries and as seed in soggy ground or solid ground will not germinate, we can take that inside and germinate any herbs or edible crops indoors to transplant out in spring. The head start will be welcomed too.
There are still items in the established edible garden; leeks, parsnips, sprouts, overwintering cabbages, celeriac, chards, Jerusalem artichokes, swedes, turnips and winter radish etc, but don’t be fooled into thinking they survived. They have evolved to ‘over-winter’ but some still need a bit of fleece and your judiciousness to make it to the plate.
January’s day-length opens around 7½hrs in the first week but closes closer to 9hrs on the 31st. Most vegetables need a minimum of 6-8hrs of daylight combined with temperatures above 5°c to actively grow and yield. The average temperature this month is 5°c with potential highs approaching a double-digit figure. Average lows between 2°c and 4°c, some days at freezing point or below — so growing under glass or plastic is a way to maximize the month.
The big shock to plants in winter months can be wind rock and January winds can vary from 6 mph to 22 mph (light to fresh), but may also manifest as high winds (34 mph and above).
The wind is most often westerly so the scarecrow may need an overcoat and you might pick up a windbreaker and raincoat in the sales. Checking plants now and reaffirming stakes and ties, is the best use of your time. So while growing is not active, it’s the prep and maintenance that you do now that will bring fruition.
Sometimes one can only chill out when the chill factor is in full force. Planting by pick or sledgehammer is never a good idea, and dynamite is so expensive lately that it is best to lay some old carpet or horticultural fleece down and wait a few weeks for the thaw. Crops will catch up. Better still if you have a polytunnel or greenhouse, you can start many edibles off under protection, even a window sill will suffice. Even if the winter was mild and the ground soft enough to get a trowel into — one must think of what’s around the corner. Will a frost next week wipe out the work of this week?
If you are adamant about getting at it, then get yourself a scaffolding board or plank. Compaction by your trampling and the weight of freight and moving soil in a wheel barrow is the bane of the garden in this month and for that matter — any other. So a good plank or scaffolding board will help evenly distribute the weight of your good self and the goods in your barrow.
Very helpful too in moving barrows of soil into raised beds and to flip over at night to catch a cache of slugs.
So if you must go full steam, then while I do not advise sowing direct in January without aid of cover, I have experimented successfully enough with leeks, turnips and parsnips in the past — they do not transplant well and so they are often sown direct in cooler months.
Some gardeners extol broad beans started at this time of year — but I suggest pots that go into a cold frame rather than into finger numbing soil.
Pretty much any seed can be started in the greenhouse or via heated propagators at any time of year including tomatoes and warmer climate foods.
For indoor sowing, you will require germination temperatures of around 13°C for most, read seed packet as some will require temperatures more than your windowsill will allow, or more moisture than central-heated rooms gift.
So while windowsills are perfectly fine for almost all the staples, a heated propagator is not a compulsive or excessive buy.
With one or not, you can try your hand at the following and they can be used as micro veg or for quick turnaround salad leaves, once temperatures are above 10c.
Carrots
Cauliflowers
Coriander and other warm climate herbs
Lettuces
Onion seeds
Salad Onions
Spinach
Summer Cabbages
Tomato
Turnips
Viola and Dianthus flowers for edible petals
November to March is generally known as ‘bare root season’ and gardeners in the know will be aware that this is the time to plant trees, hedging and shrubs.
The reason for this is because the specimens are currently dormant, they are not growing and don’t mind being disturbed.
Caragh Nurseries, just outside Naas in Co Kildare has over 55 acres of land mainly covered in trees, shrubs and hedgerows and are specialists in large trees, hedging and shrubs.
The nursery is owned and run by Ian and Jo McGarry who are fast gaining a cult following of dedicated gardeners from all around the country due to their extensive knowledge, massive range of trees, hedging and ‘framed trees’ which provide instant privacy in a garden.
“Many trees, shrubs and hedgerows can be planted without pots or soil, this is known as bare root”, said Ian McGarry. “The plant doesn’t look great at this stage of the year as they are dormant and without leaves but you will benefit by planting them now as planting bare root is much more cost effective, it’s much easier and plants also establish themselves faster, so it’s worth taking the time now to invest in good trees and shrubs for your garden, you will reap the benefits.”
Caragh Nurseries is a full-time production nursery and has trees and shrubs at all stages in production in open ground in the heart of the Kildare country side. The plants and trees are undercut when necessary in order to produce healthy trees and hedging that will establish well in their new homes. The nursery also specialises in large espaliered trees created especially to create instant screening and privacy.
“Now is the time to get digging,” said Ian. “It can be somewhat daunting to know what to plant, where and when but we also provide lots of advice on how to plant bare root specimens. If you are planting a hedge just be careful about your spacing, what may have one plant to the metre of one species could require 4 of another and do not be tempted to bury the root. Many people feel they need to place the roots, right down, deep into the soil, this can often result in rot. The roots should be placed at soil level to let the roots flare out.”
Ian, together with his wife Jo are a mine of information when it comes to planting larger specimens of trees, shrubs and plants. “It might seem like an odd time of year to start planting and of course nothing looks very attractive when it has no leaves, flowers or colour but remember the plant is really just ‘asleep’ said Jo.
“When people come to our nursery they can expect to go away armed with lots of information on how to look after their purchases too, one of the main things to look out for is to make sure you don’t let your plant dry out.
“If you don’t intend on planting the trees on the day you buy them just make sure to give them a small amount of water and protect against frost until you are ready to put them in the ground.”
- Making the garden safe is perhaps the first priority so If frost is not forecast, then it is opportune to remove slippery moss and algae from paths, patios, slabs and stepping stones with a blast of the pressure hose or if frost is ahead then with some elbow grease and a stiff brush.
- Check for trip hazards, loose trellising, wind damage, etc.
- Check stakes and ties.
- Too damp a garden equals larger slug population; unkempt weed colonies host diseases that will find their way into the veg patch, notably rust. Be vigilant to such situations.
- There is no problem with taking action to improve the drainage of heavy or waterlogging soils by working in lots of organic matter and some grit or sharp sand and then covering with membrane for the month. Work off a plank to avoid compaction if you can.
- Similarly digging asparagus trenches to fill with organic matter can happen this month too.
email: gardening@examiner.ie
