January is the quietest month in the garden, and that's exactly as it should be. There may be snow outside, the ground is frozen, and the beds are sleeping under a blanket of leaves and mulch. Still, that doesn't mean doing nothing, just a different kind of work: you plan, you look after the little that's growing right now, and at a warm window you lay the groundwork for the new season.
We'll go through the jobs one by one, the way you'd tackle them on a quiet afternoon. January runs roughly from CW 1 to 5.
Think first, sow later
The most valuable January work never gets your hands dirty: you plan the gardening year. Pull out last year's bed layout and think about what went well and what didn't. Where did the tomatoes stand, where the cabbage? Both should move to a new spot this year, because a clean crop rotation keeps soils from tiring out and heads off soil-borne diseases. As a rule of thumb, each plant family only comes back to its old place after three to four years.
Then the seeds come out onto the table. Sort through the packets, check the use-by date, and reorder before your favourite varieties sell out in February. If you've got older seed lying around, a quick test is worth it before you spend money on new packets.
The first sowing starts at the window
Even January doesn't get by entirely without sowing. At the end of the month you start the slow starters indoors: chilli, peppers and aubergine need a long growing season, so they want to go into the soil early.
Light is the key, otherwise the seedlings turn long and pale. Put the trays at your brightest window or hang a grow light over them, and keep them steadily warm at around 22 to 24 degrees. If you don't have a lamp, better to wait another two or three weeks than to raise leggy, straggly little plants.
What's ready to harvest in the bed now
Winter isn't an empty garden if you planned ahead in autumn. Kale tastes best after the first frosts, because the cold turns some of its starch into sugar. Alongside it, Brussels sprouts, leek, parsnip, Jerusalem artichoke and winter purslane soldier on bravely, and under a layer of fleece the lamb's lettuce and a few winter salads stay tender too.
Always harvest on a frost-free day, or once things have thawed a little during the day. Frozen leaves go glassy and turn to mush once they thaw; a few hours later you can pick the very same plant crisp and firm. With lamb's lettuce, cut the whole rosette off just above the soil so it stays clean. And don't worry if a frosty night presses the leaves flat to the ground: as soon as it warms up, they'll stand back up again.
A garden in January looks like it's asleep. In truth it's gathering strength, just like you.
Prune the fruit trees while they're dormant
The leafless season is the best time to work on apple and pear. With no foliage, you can see the crown clearly in front of you, and because the tree is dormant it takes the pruning well. Pick a dry, frost-free day when the thermometer stays above minus five degrees.
Dead and diseased wood first
Cut out any dead, diseased or broken branches. That gives you a clear overview and denies fungi a way in.
Inward and crossing growth
Remove shoots that grow into the middle of the crown or rub against each other. The goal is an open crown that lets light and air through.
Water shoots and rivals
Steep water shoots and any rivals to the leader come off. They cost the tree energy and barely bear fruit.
Clean at the branch collar
Make the cut close to the swollen branch collar, not partway along the branch. That way the wound heals over cleanly. A sharp, clean tool heals faster than one that crushes.
A garden that belongs to the animals too
Look after the animals in winter and you'll gain busy helpers in spring. Tits will later gobble up aphids and caterpillars by the dozen, and a hedgehog under the brush pile clears out the slugs. Now is the right moment to make the garden appealing to them.
Tools, pots and compost
The quiet season is perfect for getting your tools back in shape. Clean the spade, hoe and secateurs, sharpen the blades and rub any bare metal with a little oil. Then nothing rusts, and come spring you reach for sharp kit.
On clear nights, keep an eye on the containers. Pots freeze through faster than the open bed, because the cold reaches the root ball from every side. Stand them on wooden feet, push them close to the house wall, and wrap them in fleece or hessian when the frost is hard. If wet snow falls, knock it off evergreen shrubs and hedges, or the branches will snap under the weight.
Your January in brief
- Start indoor sowingAt the end of January, sow chilli, peppers and aubergine somewhere bright and warm on the windowsill.
- Harvest winter vegPick kale, lamb's lettuce, leek and parsnip fresh on frost-free days.
- Prune fruit treesThin out pome fruit on mild days, stone fruit not until summer.
- Look after wildlifeFeed the birds, put out water, clean and hang nest boxes.
- Protect containersRaise pots up off the ground, wrap them, knock snow off hedges and conifers.
- Plan the seasonGet your bed layout, crop rotation and seed order ready for the whole year.
Häufige Fragen
Can I already sow outdoors in January?
Not into open ground yet; the soil is too cold and usually frozen. On the windowsill, though, the end of the month is when you start the heat-loving slow starters like chilli and peppers.
Does frost harm my kale?
Quite the opposite. Cold turns some of the starch into sugar, and that's exactly what makes kale milder and sweeter after the first frosts. Best to harvest on a frost-free day.
Do I even need to water in winter?
Not the beds, but containers and evergreens, yes. On frost-free, sunny days they lose water through their leaves but can't draw any up from the frozen soil. A drink of water on mild days keeps them from drying out.
Your January at a glance
If that sounds like a lot: it doesn't all have to happen in one day. January rewards even small rounds, and much of it can be done from a warm kitchen table. The garden is a project that runs over many years, and this month quietly lays the ground for everything that follows.
In Gartenkern you can note down your bed layout, crop rotation and first sowing dates and set them up as recurring tasks. Next January you'll know exactly when you started your pepper 'Yolo Wonder' and which corner of the garden the birds liked best. That way your garden remembers along with you.
