1. It’s time to prune your Group 3 Clematis (the Viticella and Jackmanii type) to tackle tangled growth at the base so they can grow away strongly. Take all growth back hard to about 6 to 12 inches above the ground, cutting above a leaf joint. Then give them a feed and a mulch. It seems drastic but they respond well and will grow quickly. If it’s a fairly new plant check around the base for slugs which can quickly eat any weak new growth.
2. Cut back all spent foliage on grasses making sure not to snip emerging shoots. And look out for any seedlings to pot up for our plant sales table if you don’t want them!
3. Check over any Aeoniums you may have under cover or protected in the garden. Aeoniums are in active growth during spring and autumn and become dormant and start shedding leaves during hot weather when you should stop watering. But as they are coming into growth now they’ll need some water and check if there are any shoots you’ll be able to propagate in slightly warmer temperatures. Check for those tiny snails that live behind the leaves too.
4. Give Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus) a rest after flowering by reducing watering and keeping somewhere cool for a few months – they will flower all the better next year.
5. Finish pruning shrub roses while the weather is still cold and again give them a feed and a mulch. You can also try some cuttings with your prunings by either putting in a pot of gritty compost or directly in the ground – but do make sure they are the right way up!
6. When snowdrops have finished flowering, dig up any congested clumps, split them and either replant singly or in groups. Mine flowered poorly last year but are a bit better this year as I fed them after flowering on the advice of a friend.
7. Cover soil for crops with cardboard if you have some, or empty compost bags, to keep weed free for crop sowing later.
8. Chit first- and second-early potatoes by placing in a light place but avoiding the potatoes touching each other. Old egg boxes are ideal. No potatoes are as tasty as that first crop.
9. You can sow early peas and onions now if you wish, and continue harvesting winter veg before it goes to seed.
10. There was a huge early flying bumble bee on my Daphne today, which shows the importance of winter flowering shrubs to provide their food.
Happy gardening all!
Pat K
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