Early January 2022

Hi everyone,

Writing this blog to compliment the YouTube video I did, 

(watch it here 👉👉 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGtDDsMT4Es 👈👈)

discussing early January here, what we are up to at the moment and plans over the coming week or so. 

Firstly, it is worth mentioning that if you have any spring bulbs such as Tulips or daffodils, do get them planted as soon as you can. While it is late to plant them, getting them into soil or compost now will ensure they have a chance to grow and more than likely flower. Any soft or discoloured bulbs should be discarded. 

We find ourselves in the middle of a cold snap now, after what has been a fairly nice festive period, without prolonged frosts and cold. Of course having this cold weather means that we have to ensure our more tender plants are adequately protected. For the hardy outdoor plants this means doing nothing at all, where as for the more tender this means having them undercover, here we have some coldframes and greenhouses, although if you don't have access to these maybe even tucking the plants against the wall of the house can make a difference. We do have some succulents which we bring indoors, along with some geraniums, to provide some extra warmth. 

Cold weather does have benefits too including knocking back the numbers of aphids and other insects that like to damage plants, along with encouraging some plants to go in to a proper dormant period, allowing old foliage and other debris to be discarded by the plants before the fresh vulnerable growth starts in the spring. 

Over autumn and winter, in fact all year around, we continue to tidy main areas and keep them clean. However, it's worth saying that there are plenty of untidy corners, where we do leave garden debris and leaves as this is where many of our beneficial insects will overwinter, emerging in the spring and be our gardening friends through their targeting of said pests. The one insect I continue to be most challenged to leave over winter are wasps. The queens like to tuck themselves away among dry wood stores, sheds and piles until spring, when they then begin to form new colonies. While I know these are beneficial, as they remove caterpillars and aphids, I am still challenged when I come across them, possibly due to the stings I have received in the past ... Lol

While we are in the cleaning and tidying mode now, preparing for spring, I find it is a good time to clear out some of the excess plants we have. Some of these plants are left over summer annuals and they have expired. Others are surplus plants grown, which we will donate to some local community groups to use, and then their are some that are somewhere in the middle of these two groupings - typically patio plants that are hanging on and may regrow in spring, but if we want to buy fresh stocks they are surplus ... decisions decisions ...

Plans for garden work over the coming week or two include sowing some of the earliest seeds, including sweet peppers and seeds for a couple of early tomato plants. And yes, it is far too early for sowing most seed without a decent covered area, and maybe even additional heat, but for the sweet peppers, which can take four to six weeks to germinate, this is very timely. I am taking a risk with the tomatoes, which can get very leggy due to the poor light levels and short day length, however it is a risk worth taking with the promise of those freshly ripened fruits, perhaps in June. 

Another plan we have is to create a snug area in the glasshouse for seedlings in spring. As we have helped my brother cleaning out some household items, we have acquired some materials we'll use to create this area. This will allow seeds that have been germinated and started indoors to continue growing on while acclimatising to slightly cooler conditions, particularly at night. 

What is growing now are the garlic cloves we planted. They cloves are from some that I have grown over the years, always taking the healthiest bulbs from the previous years crop to grow on. the fresh growth really is encouraging to see, heralding good things to come ! One question I did pose on the video was about growing more garlic plants then we need, for giving to others. The overwhelming response to the question, both on the video and on Twitter, was yes - grow plenty more as people will be grateful for them - so that's exactly what we will do. What we do not have are broad bean seeds, despite being at the garden centre the other day - looks like another visit is in order. Broad beans can be started at this time of year in pots and then planted out once they get growing. 

In the video I did show some metal narcissus flowers I made, while we wait for the real one to grow ... Lol.

To finish up, can I just say thank you for the continued support, chats and laughs when following our garden endeavors. 

As always, thank you for stopping by here to read the blog, and for watching the video too.

My twitter is here: https://twitter.com/hugh_cassidy

And Youtube is here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfd_G1c1FyF41cdRGaf_ubQ

All the best,

Hugh