WHAT TO DO THIS Month
This month, it’s time to protect existing plants from frost and damp as well as plant new ones. There’s also seasonal maintenance work to do – and don’t forget the wildlife!
PROTECT YOUR WINTER PLANTS
Make attractive, natural covers to shelter delicate plants such as dahlias, gaura and penstemon from the cold winter weather.
1 Cut lengths of bendy colourful willow or cornus branches (hazel or birch would work too).
2 Take a stem and push one end into the ground then bend the branch up and over, pushing the other end into the soil on the opposite side. Repeat in a circle around the plant. Secure with string as shown in the picture.
3 Pack the enclosure with moss or leaves. This will insulate the plant from frost and help excess winter rain to drain away from its crown. The leaves will naturally breakdown to reveeal the new shoots in early spring.
FORCE BULBS TO CREATE ANEW YEAR DISPLAY
For a splash of colour early in 2024, try forcing spring bulbs now. Keep them artificially cool and dark, then expose them to warmth for early flowering. It’s ideal for paperwhite narcissi, hyacinths and amaryllis. Bulbs flower six to 10 weeks after planting; start forcing sooner for earlier flowers.
● Half fill a bowl or pot with a mix of free-draining, gritty compost. Water and place the bulbs on top (close together but not touching). Fill more compost around them until just the tops are showing.
●A cold, dark period is needed to form roots. Cover the pot with a black polythene bag and place in a cool shed or garage for a few weeks. Check weekly to make sure the compost is still moist and watch out for the moment the bulbs begin to sprout.
●When the shoots are 5cm long, put the pot in a cool room indoors, out of direct sunlight, to green up the leaves. Top the pot with a layer of grit or moss and add long twigs to help support floppier stems.
● After a few days, move the bulbs to a warmer, brighter position – no draughty spots or direct radiator heat. Turn the pots daily to keep the stems growing straight and don’t forget to keep watering.
● You can use a glass forcing vase for hyacinths. Buy bulbs marked ‘prepared’ or ‘for forcing’. Pop a bulb in the vase neck so just its roots can dangle into the water.
Cut off damaged hellebore leaves
Keep a look out
