By Isle of Wight Observer
We are well into the new year now, so it won’t be too long until spring is here. However, it certainly hasn’t felt very spring-like of late. We had exceptionally cold conditions last week, with night-time temperatures dropping well below freezing. It’s turning a little milder, but with the milder weather we generally see more rain.
The cold snap won’t do our gardens any harm though; in fact, the freezing temperatures should help keep the bugs down as we head into the new season. I’ve certainly noticed my plants have slowed up this last couple of weeks, which is good.
Now is a great time to begin getting organised for the coming year. Maybe you have raised beds that need some attention, replacing any damaged timbers and supports.
Working the ground can be tricky at this time of year, and getting onto it when it’s wet can cause more harm than good. But there’s always plenty to be getting on with.
If you are fortunate enough to have a frost-free greenhouse or polytunnel, then you can start sowing seeds, planting shallots, and onion sets into cell trays to get them into growth prior to planting out in a few weeks’ time. Seeds such as brassicas, leeks, and tomatoes can all be sown now.
Garden centres across the Island will soon have seed potatoes in stock, so it’s a good time to get first choice. Stocks will be a bit light this year after last year’s drought so best to get in early to avoid disappointment.
Summer bulbs such as gladioli, lilies, and begonias will also be arriving soon.
If you didn’t do an autumn sowing, then now is the time to sow your sweet peas to give you a wonderful summer display of beautiful fragrant flowers.
It’s also time to get your dahlias boxed up if you plan on taking cuttings. They don’t need to go on heat until mid-February, but it’s a good time to get them boxed up into fresh compost, ready to push them into growth.
I’ll be back again next month for more top tips.