Job of the week: Plant bare-root fruit
Berry fruits from gooseberries to raspberries are available right now from the garden centre and offer great value for money. Plant as soon as you get them home: make a wide hole adding in plenty of Westland Farmyard Manure or Envirogrind Compost soil. Position the plant in the hole and back-fill with soil mixed with a handful of slow-release fertiliser like bonemeal, firming in with your heel.
Tip 1: Make sure that you plant bare-root fruit bushes at the correct depth, only just covering the uppermost roots.
Tip 2: Growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs, even in a small way, is one of the joys of gardening and a great way to encourage children to have an appreciation of fresh healthy food and how it grows.
Special Offer 2kg seed potatoes (excluding Sarpo varieties) 3 bags for only €15
Flowers:
Trim old leaves off hellebores to show off the flowers better
Winter prune wisteria back to two buds from the main framework
Deadhead winter bedding pansies to keep them flowering in mild spells
Fruit & veg:
Finish pruning grapevines while they are still dormant
Mulch strawberry plants before they start into growth
Start chitting new potatoes in eggboxes
Greenhouse:
Cut back overwintered fuchsias and start watering
Sow annual climbers like cup and saucer vine (Cobaea scandens)
Invest in a heated propagator ready for when sowing starts next month
Around the garden:
Cut hazel poles to make bean poles and other plant supports
Scrape off 5cm of compost from container-grown shrubs and add fresh compost – we recommend Professional Multipurpose Compost with added slow release fertiliser
Clean and sharpen tools ready for the season