12 Nov Calendar of works in the garden and vegetable garden – January

Although in the middle of winter nature sleeps under a snow cap, in January there is also work at their summer cottage, even if the gardener does not live on his “estate” all year round. During the winter holidays, when there are enough days off and holidays, you can always find a day or two to get to your site – to assess its general condition on the spot.

In January, it would be worth examining the branches of trees, especially in the axils of the buds, which are laid since autumn, and in the cracks between the branches and the trunk, in the uneven bark – to detect pests wintering there. It would also be good to remove the remnants of unfallen leaves and mummified fruits from tree branches.

Snow will help protect trees and their root systems from freezing if it is rolled up to the trunks and compacted a little. A sufficient amount of snow on the branches will protect them from freezing, but excess snow can break branches under weight, so it is advisable to knock down its excess on the crown, especially in snowy winters, this is done with a long pole.

Regarding the trampling of snow, the opinions of gardeners differ, since the frozen and trampled layer becomes an obstacle for rodents, but it does not breathe so well and melts longer in the spring, and this is unfavorable for the awakening of the roots. Therefore, with warm air, the crown of trees wakes up earlier, preparing the buds, and the roots are still dormant, delaying the flow of sap.

This technique, on the other hand, is successfully used to delay the growing season of heat-loving crops, slightly shifting the timing of flowering, which is useful in a cold spring, and it makes it possible to survive late frosts in spring without loss. Snow needs to be trampled down selectively, for example, only under apricots, cherries or plums, and to enhance the effect, you can pour water around the trunk of the snow cover – to obtain a stable ice crust. The method is good when a cold and long spring is predicted, and there are a lot of early fruit trees on your site.

Snow can also additionally “warm” rose bushes, beds with heat-loving perennials, as well as shrubs with low winter hardiness. It is also advisable to do this before the upcoming February frosts.

At this time, it is advisable to check the pantries and cellars, inspecting the condition of the vegetables and fruits stored in them – take care of sorting, sorting and culling spoiled fruits and blanks. Remember that fungus, mold and fruit rot are quickly transferred to neighboring fruits.

In addition, it’s time to take care of the natural protection of your garden from pests, as the birds attracted to the site will clean the trees from pests themselves. Install self-draining bird feeders – an inverted bottle tied to the barrel, above a plank with a border, where food will spill out through a small gap as the birds eat. Fill the feeder with grains, crumbs, seeds, rowan berries and dry fruits, hang pieces of unsalted lard for tits. In early spring, birds that are accustomed to eating on your site will look for live food nearby – garden pests.

During this period, you can also do an audit of the seeds harvested in the fall in order to assess their total number and readiness for germination. Remove rotting seeds and those that have been stored for more than a year, buy the required amount, especially for good varietal seeds. Stock up on fertilizers and preparations to combat parasites and other pests in order to be fully equipped by the beginning of the summer season, and also plan for future planting on the site. Get a garden and lunar calendar of agricultural work for the current year.