Herald - Issue 401

28th January 2021 • The HERALD • Page 39 v THE HERALD - PART OF YOUR COMMUNITY v | DOWN THE GARDEN PATH | SPADEWORK Family Landscaping & Fencing Team ] Decking & Natural Sandstone Paving ] Patios ] Driveways ] Block Paving ] Turfing ] All Types of Domestic & Commercial Fencing ] Security Fencing Supplied & Fitted Tel: (023) 8089 4909 Mobile: 07703 566814 u F ree E stimates u F ully I nsured As long as the ground isn’t frozen, a key job for this month is to cultivate and prepare seedbeds. To warm them up before sowing, cover them with clear polythene, cloches or eece. Sowing and planting Fruit • Take delivery of and plant fruit trees, bushes, canes and vines if the soil isn’t frozen. Vegetables • Chit seed potato tubers as soon as you have them. • From mid-February onwards sow tomato and cucumber seed for greenhouse growing. • Plant out garlic and shallots in light soils only; heavy soils need longer to warm up. • If you have light (sandy) soil and live in a mild part of the UK, you can sow broad beans, carrots, parsnips, early beetroot, salad onions, lettuces, radish, peas, spinach and summer cabbages outside under cloches. Otherwise it’s best to wait until the soil has begun to warm up in March or April. • Peas can be sown in the greenhouse in old (but clean) guttering that has had drainage holes drilled in the bottom. • Plant Jerusalem artichoke tubers. Pruning and training Fruit • Untie festooned fruit tree branches that have set into position. • Prune citrus trees. • is is your last chance to winter prune apples, pears, medlars and quinces. • is is your last chance to prune establ ished autumn-frui t ing raspberries. • Prune back newly planted raspberries back to 30cm (12in). • is is your last chance to winter prune red currants, white currants and gooseberries. Problems • Slugs can pose a threat, and slug controls are necessary now, as always. • Place mouse controls near stored vegetables and any in the ground still. • Protect brassicas from pigeon damage. • Pick yellowing leaves o Brussels sprouts and other brassicas promptly, to prevent spread of grey mould and brassica downy mildew. • Remove all remaining plant debris from the vegetable plot. • Digging-over in winter exposes soil pests to frost and bird predators. • Clear the ground under trees and bushes of weeds. • Last chance to winter wash trees and bushes. • Remove any rotten stored fruit. • Check protection against peach leaf curl. General care Fruit • Protect almond, peach, apricot and nectarine blossom from frost, but make sure insects can access the owers for pollination. • Untie festooned fruit tree branches that have set into position. • Harvest citrus fruit when ready. • Cover outdoor, soil-grown strawberries with cloches for an earlier crop. • Tip back summer-fruiting raspberry canes to 15cm (6in) above their top support wire. • Apply a top dressing of sulphate of potash to all fruit if not done last month. Vegetables • Cultivate and prepare seedbeds, covering them with clear polythene, cloches or eece to warm up the soil before sowing. • Plan a crop rotation system for your vegetable plot. • Rake in lime if you have acid soil. • Prepare new asparagus beds. • Feed spring cabbages with high nitrogen feeds. • Dig over new beds, but try to avoid digging in wet weather. Jobs to do in February - Watch the Weather Top Tips from RHS SERVICE YOUR MOWER It is easy to take your motor mower for granted and take it out to use and put some petrol in, then once the lawn is cut, back they go in the shed for the next time, which of course at this time of year becomes less and less. e old mower doesn’t complain and is reliable to a point, but there is going to be a time when it is just not going to start no matter how hard you pull the starter cord! Some simple things to check and clean each time you use your mower could prevent that happening such as; checking the oil is to the correct mark on the dipstick, making sure that the air lter is kept clean and the engine can breath, or just taking the sparkplug out and giving it a clean can make all the di erence. Finally keeping the blade sharp and making sure it is correctly balanced will improve the cutting quality. If you tip your machine on its side to carry out any basic checks, always make sure that the air lter side is always facing up and importantly remember that when you carry out any maintenance work on your mower that you remove the spark plug cap and have the correct personal protective equipment on. If in any doubt contact your local garden machinery specialist.