January Jobs?

Need to know the best time to plant?

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retropants
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As we gave up our allotment in December, I've not done a thing. I still have concrete hardstanding where my new veg garden will be, just considering how to deal with it. Hopefully it's not too deep, it is all cracked and crumbling.
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Geoff
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Missed a job from list, completed today. Pruned, weeded, fed and mulched the Autumn raspberries.
Stephen
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Digging mostly, combined with muck spreading.
Burning debris, timber cuttings, raspberry canes (the pile of semi-solid stuff is quite large enough.
One compost bin from repurposed pallets to assemble.
Any ammount of weeding.
Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
sally wright
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Dear All,
For January jobs read winter jobs.
tidy out your shed.
Clean and sharpen tools then oil them so they are ready for use.

Do a stock-take of consumables such as seeds, pesticides, fertilizers, strings, canes, nets, pots, hose fittings, composts etc
Go shopping for any/all of the above - better to do this now rather than in the Easter crowds. Plus you can use those gift vouchers you got for Christmas before you forget you have them and where you put them away so they wouldn't get lost....

Check over your nets and fleeces, repair any holes then put a label on them to say what size they are to make it easier to use them in the summer. If you make bottle cloches cut them out now whilst you have time. Inspect fruit cages as well.

Clean the glazing on your greenhouse/polytunnel/cold frames etc; your seedlings will need every gleam of sunlight they can get in the next three months. Clean out under the benches as well as this is a prime hiding place for mice, woodlice and vine weevils all of which enjoy a munch on seedlings and plants.

On that note cleanliness in one of the cornerstones of good germination so now is the time to clean your seed trays and pots. Dust out the trays and pots with a medium bristled brush and then wash them in hot soapy water using a dish brush. Do not stack them back together until they are dry as getting them apart afterwards will be a nightmare. If they have splits or cracks then repair them using either polytunnel repair tape(larger pots and seed trays)/ or florists oasis tape(small pots and cells); both are waterproof and will last. Gaffer tape and insulation tape are not so durable in a damp situation so use these only if you have nothing else. I only wash the pots and trays I use for seedlings and cuttings as I have so many I would be at it for weeks. When they are dry I put them all into dustbin bags to keep them clean until I need them. Get rid of any sizes you don't use; most garden centres have a recycling point or do a pot swap day with your mates.

Set up some more water butts; I have a feeling we may need them this year... Also check your hoses, sprinklers, cans and any other irrigation set-ups you may have. Order spares and new bits as needed.

Make internal saucers for your wire hanging baskets. These go between the basket liner and the compost. Get a compost sack and cut it open, lay it out with the patterned side uppermost, sit your basket on top upside down and draw round it with a marker pen, cut out this circle and cut a couple of slits in the middle for a little drainage. This circle will come about halfway up the sides of the basket and I use it as the line to cut the liner to for the first layer of plants.
Check over any machinery you may have; have it serviced if needed or give it a good clean and give it a light service (change the oil/sharpen blades/change spark plugs etc) yourself if you can. Make sure you keep any batteries for electrical item indoors if you can as they do not like being stored in unheated areas. On that note do not use a re-chargeable battery operated tool outside in sub zero temperatures; if there is a quicker way to ruin one (other than dropping it) I have yet to come across it.

There, that lot should keep you all busy for a while.
Regards Sally Wright.
Stephen
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My word Sally, that is very comprehensive! Thank you.

This is what I did today
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Nothing is foolproof to a sufficiently talented fool.
Colin2016
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Interesting point on rechargeable battery, never knew that and been using my tools all week although not sub zero.

On a side note I dropped my drill in water a while ago and it packed up, took it home gave it a good shake to get rid on water then used hairdrier on it all been ok since.
Monika
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We bought our seed potatoes yesterday: three each of Rocket, Kestrel, Wilja, Estima and Pink Gypsy - much reduced from previous years but just enough to fill four very large pots and also three single 9" pots (Rocket) for our Village Show ("One potato grown in a 9" pot, to be emptied and the yield weighed at the Show").

I am afraid I was also enticed to buy six very colourful polyanthus which have joined the cyclamen coum, crocuses and irises already or almost flowering in the unheated greenhouse. Whatever the weather outside (it's freezing at the moment), the greenhouse looks and smells like spring!
marto
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New Starter

I’ve sorted a full allotment plot and started work on it today.

Bought the 12 foot and 6 foot greenhouses ( need a proper clean out) with all of last years debris still in there

The guy hadn’t worked this plot for about 15 months so it’s going to be hard work, although it could have been worse looking at some of the other available plots.

Onwards and upwards

Marto
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Primrose
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Good luck Marto and welcome to the forum. Sounds as if you've got a good few hours of slogging away ahead of you. Are you going to have any help with the allotment or is this going to be a solo effort?
.
The best advice I can give is not to allow yourself to feel overwhelmed and dispirited at the amount of work you have to do. You may have to concentrate this spring on just getting enough space cleared in the greenhouses to start off your seedlings and enough ground dug and cleared on the plot to take them.

I always think it's a shame that the Scouts gave up doing their Bob a Job week. You could have hired the whole troop of them to spend a day on the plot weeding and digging !! :lol:
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oldherbaceous
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Good morning Marto, and may I wish you very warm welcome to the forum....also, good luck with the allotment.
Kind Regards, Old Herbaceous.

There's no fool like an old fool.
Westi
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Welcome to the forum Marto!

How lucky to get a greenhouse even if you had to pay at least you didn't have to erect it. As the temperature is looking Ok for a bit I would cover areas you won't be able to do in a week or so with black plastic as the weeds will take advantage of this warmer spell & shoot up & overwhelm you a bit, not to mention to distract you from your plan. Onwards & upwards indeed, perfect time to get your plot a you will get the full seasons from the Spring. (OK late winter in reality).

Just post away any questions, plenty of clever folk on here & none have bitten me - yet! And I can be overly optimistic at times. Put your general location on your avatar as then you will find folk in the same area or conditions & you will know that is the advice you need, but have a read of the rest as well as plenty of hints & tips pop up randomly! And never be overwhelmed by the general chat topic, it's an anything goes place to rant, moan or go completely off gardening as you may have noticed! :)
Westi
marto
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Thanks everybody for the kind words, I will make sure I come on the forum more often

Here’s to a fruitful year !

Marto
mayjorblayke
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KG Tony wrote:So, its January. What have you all been up to?

What have you been sowing?
What have you been doing in your greenhouse, polytunnel or on your patch?
What's on your Nox Vidmate VLC list of things to do before February?

Or are you just hunkering down, keeping warm and drooling over seed catalogues!

I am no longer capable of physical effort so doing what I can to make things as easy as possible when wife and daughters family take over the plot
Last edited by mayjorblayke on Sat Sep 07, 2019 9:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Primrose
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I think I may have reached the stage where, come January , I may be looking out of the window at a cold rainswept plot and wondering whether I should grass over one third, a half or all of it and just grow vegetables in south facing border and my patio pots.

I'm reluctant to admit defeat and am trying to decide whether biting the bullet in easy stages makes it easier. I think gardening is such a good keep fit and morale generating activity but sometimes January weather is not the best motivator to get out there and get stuck in!
chuukafu
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If you have a concrete hardstanding that you no longer need and want to convert it into a vegetable garden, there are a few options to consider. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Breaking up the concrete: If the concrete is cracked and crumbling, you can break it up using a sledgehammer or a jackhammer. This will allow you to remove the concrete in smaller pieces and clear the area for your vegetable garden. Be sure to wear protective gear and exercise caution when using heavy tools.

2. Repurposing the concrete: Instead of completely removing the concrete, you can repurpose it within your garden. Broken concrete pieces, known as rubble or "urbanite," can be used for various purposes such as creating raised beds, retaining walls, or pathway borders. Arrange the broken concrete in a way that suits your garden design and provides functionality.

3. Covering the concrete: If breaking up the concrete is not feasible or if you prefer to leave it in place, you can cover it with a layer of soil or compost. Add a layer of at least 6-12 inches of nutrient-rich topsoil or compost on top of the concrete to create a suitable growing area for your vegetables. This method is known as "lasagna gardening" or "sheet mulching."
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