1 00:00:00,480 --> 00:00:04,480 Welcome to Gardening with Ben, the podcast where we dig into the soil of 2 00:00:04,519 --> 00:00:09,080 our gardens and the depths of our green funds. I'm your host, Ben, 3 00:00:09,359 --> 00:00:12,839 here to guide you through the joints of gardening, from sowing seeds to 4 00:00:12,919 --> 00:00:18,280 reaping bountiful harvests. Each episode will explore tips, tricks, and tails from 5 00:00:18,320 --> 00:00:24,800 the garden and allotment, sharing insights from ourself and stories from our own back 6 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:29,719 garden adventures. Whether you're a seasoned gardener or just getting your hands dirty for 7 00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:33,960 the first time, there's something here for everyone, So grab your brew and 8 00:00:34,039 --> 00:00:41,359 gardening gloves and let's get growing. With Gardening with Ben. Welcome to Gardening 9 00:00:41,520 --> 00:00:46,880 with Ben's January Tasks, the podcast where we'll guide you through the essential garden 10 00:00:46,880 --> 00:00:50,840 and allotment jobs for January. As we step into the new year, our 11 00:00:50,880 --> 00:00:56,359 gardens and allotments may seem dormant, but there's still plenty to do. This 12 00:00:56,439 --> 00:01:00,280 month will focus on key tasks such as winter pruning, planning your year's crops, 13 00:01:00,399 --> 00:01:04,879 preparing soil for early planting, and protecting your plants from the chill. 14 00:01:06,280 --> 00:01:11,359 Whether it's maintaining your tools, starting some seeds indoors, or organizing your gardening 15 00:01:11,400 --> 00:01:15,879 space. We've got you covered, so grab your gloves and join us as 16 00:01:15,920 --> 00:01:22,439 we make the most of January, setting the stage for flourishing garden and bountiful 17 00:01:22,519 --> 00:01:30,280 allotment in the year ahead. So this is the second half of yesterday's podcast. 18 00:01:30,319 --> 00:01:34,640 If you're not listening to yesterday's podcast, it was all about what seeds 19 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:38,760 we should be planting in January, and I went through what vegetables seeds to 20 00:01:38,799 --> 00:01:42,560 plant, what fruit seeds to plant while not fruit seeds, fruit plants or 21 00:01:42,599 --> 00:01:52,000 trees, and what flower seeds to plant in January. So in today's podcast, 22 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:55,000 we're going to be talking about what jobs need to be done in the 23 00:01:55,000 --> 00:01:59,120 garden. And usually I like to create a little tick list so that I 24 00:01:59,159 --> 00:02:02,280 can tick them off and I know that I've completed them. And that's when 25 00:02:02,319 --> 00:02:06,359 I know that I've done all these little jobs. Get them done out of 26 00:02:06,359 --> 00:02:09,400 the way, and then we can concentrate on doing other bits and bobs around 27 00:02:09,439 --> 00:02:15,479 the garden. But getting these monthly jobs done and out of the way is 28 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:20,680 a good way to get started each month down at the allotment. So yeah, 29 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:24,240 in today's podcast, hopefully it'll get you some little tasks to do. 30 00:02:24,719 --> 00:02:29,879 You might think that your allotment's pretty quiet, pretty dormant, and there's nothing 31 00:02:29,879 --> 00:02:32,199 to be done in the garden at this time of the year. Whereas it's 32 00:02:32,360 --> 00:02:38,639 the perfect time to get stuff done in the allotment and garden because there's not 33 00:02:38,000 --> 00:02:42,319 much to be done, but the stuff that you can do will improve it 34 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,840 for the year ahead, so it's a good time to get stuff all up 35 00:02:46,919 --> 00:02:51,080 and running and sorted. So again in this episode, we're going to be 36 00:02:51,080 --> 00:02:55,080 talking about what vegetables jobs need doing, what fruit jobs need doing, and 37 00:02:55,120 --> 00:03:00,879 what flower jobs need doing. So hopefully you'll get some good tips and advice 38 00:03:00,919 --> 00:03:05,319 from this. So make sure you do click that subscribe button and then you 39 00:03:05,360 --> 00:03:08,000 can keep up to date with all our podcasts. And as I said, 40 00:03:08,240 --> 00:03:12,080 these podcasts are going to be coming out on a regular basis again. Now, 41 00:03:12,360 --> 00:03:15,199 last year we did pretty realbbish, I do admit, but I think 42 00:03:15,319 --> 00:03:21,240 so far this year recorded more than they did last year. But we still 43 00:03:21,240 --> 00:03:24,680 had a lot of streams last year, so people are still listening to them, 44 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:30,919 which is fantastic. So the podcasts are backup and money and hopefully we'll 45 00:03:30,960 --> 00:03:37,599 have a lot more to add to the podcast shelves for you to listen to. 46 00:03:38,199 --> 00:03:42,199 So, yeah, what have we in store for you? So make 47 00:03:42,240 --> 00:03:45,800 sure you've got a notepad and you can listen to these little jobs what need 48 00:03:45,879 --> 00:03:47,879 doing. There's not many jobs in January to be doing, but once you've 49 00:03:47,879 --> 00:03:52,759 done these jobs, you can know that you've done well, that you've succeeded. 50 00:03:53,719 --> 00:03:59,199 So we're going to start off with what jobs need doing in the vegetable 51 00:03:59,280 --> 00:04:04,319 garden. So the sort of stuff what needs doing in the vegetable garden is 52 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:09,439 if you're thinking about growing some peas in the garden and you want them, 53 00:04:09,479 --> 00:04:13,639 to get them growing pretty early so that you get an early crop, you 54 00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:17,680 need to cover an area of ground to warm it up so that it gets 55 00:04:17,680 --> 00:04:24,319 it nice and warm the soil before you sew them out. Unless you're sewing 56 00:04:24,439 --> 00:04:28,720 them in pots before planting out, you don't necessarily need to warm the ground 57 00:04:28,800 --> 00:04:33,680 up. But I wouldn't recommend sewing peas at this time of year. There's 58 00:04:33,959 --> 00:04:40,480 obviously too many rodents around, there's birds around, and there's not much food 59 00:04:40,480 --> 00:04:43,839 around, so as soon as you've sown them, you'll probably find that they've 60 00:04:43,879 --> 00:04:47,399 all been eaten in the next couple of days by mice and rats and birds. 61 00:04:47,680 --> 00:04:50,519 You're best off sewing in pots if you wanted to be soiled them, 62 00:04:50,800 --> 00:04:55,920 so I pretty much sew them around March time if you are wanting to be 63 00:04:56,000 --> 00:05:03,639 sewing peas parsnips. Now, parsnips are one of the longest growing vegetables that 64 00:05:04,079 --> 00:05:12,240 take time to grow that and brustles sprouts and usually start sawing parsnips pretty early 65 00:05:12,360 --> 00:05:17,279 in the year, and you don't pull them until there has been a frost. 66 00:05:18,040 --> 00:05:21,959 And the reason why you leave them until they've been a frost or the 67 00:05:23,040 --> 00:05:29,120 ground's being frozen is that it reacts with the vegetable and it makes it sweeter 68 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:34,879 and tastier, and leaving them in that ground for that frost period does make 69 00:05:34,920 --> 00:05:41,519 them taste a lot nicer and gives them a really good taste. So don't 70 00:05:41,560 --> 00:05:45,160 pick your parsnips until we've had a frost or snow and it's been frozen, 71 00:05:45,560 --> 00:05:48,160 and it will react to the parsnips and make them taste a lot nice. 72 00:05:48,439 --> 00:05:54,079 We haven't had many frosts so far this year, and we've not certainly had 73 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:58,399 not much snow. I don't know what about where you live or the areas 74 00:05:58,439 --> 00:06:05,720 that you're from, certainly not had much frost here in Yorkshire potatoes. Again. 75 00:06:05,879 --> 00:06:11,319 In the previous episode, I talked about growing potatoes and starting them chitting. 76 00:06:11,959 --> 00:06:15,800 If you're growing these in the greenhouse or polytunnel at this time of year, 77 00:06:15,240 --> 00:06:18,279 which you can be doing. You can be growing them if it's warm 78 00:06:18,360 --> 00:06:25,040 enough in your polytunnel or greenhouse. You can use a heater or a fleece 79 00:06:25,120 --> 00:06:28,680 to protect them a cold nights in January, as it does get cold in 80 00:06:28,759 --> 00:06:31,720 January, and it'll certainly get colder in February before it starts to get warmer 81 00:06:32,199 --> 00:06:36,240 in the summer. So you can be growing potatoes at this time of the 82 00:06:36,319 --> 00:06:41,839 year in a heated greenhouse or polytunnel as long as they kept warm at night, 83 00:06:43,000 --> 00:06:46,120 or it will kill the plants off and you certainly wouldn't want that. 84 00:06:48,279 --> 00:06:55,600 What to do in the fruit garden in January, well, this month obviously 85 00:06:55,920 --> 00:06:59,959 is a good month to be shaping your plants up and sorting them all out 86 00:07:00,279 --> 00:07:04,800 ready for next year, well ready for this year's harvests. And it's now 87 00:07:04,920 --> 00:07:10,399 start to be pruning them, be tidying them up, be shaping them up, 88 00:07:10,800 --> 00:07:15,319 cutting off any branches that are going the wrong way or that it's not 89 00:07:15,399 --> 00:07:18,199 letting enough air through it, so it's a case of just trimming them back 90 00:07:18,360 --> 00:07:24,600 and making them look smarter. So apple trees, make sure your apple trees 91 00:07:24,639 --> 00:07:27,879 are pruned this month, ready for them waking up soon and starting to going 92 00:07:28,000 --> 00:07:31,360 into bud. Black currants these can be prune this month, ready for the 93 00:07:31,399 --> 00:07:36,360 summer months. Gooseberries again, prune them, but be careful because of them 94 00:07:36,560 --> 00:07:41,639 awful phones in them. I've got a red gooseberry bush of my alotment and 95 00:07:41,680 --> 00:07:45,639 I can't wait for it. It's grown quite a lot this last year, 96 00:07:45,680 --> 00:07:49,199 so hopefully we'll get some good crops on it this year. Pear trees as 97 00:07:49,240 --> 00:07:54,000 well as apple trees, can be prune this month while they're still dormant. 98 00:07:54,720 --> 00:07:59,240 Red currants again, these can be pruned this month. Do not prune your 99 00:07:59,240 --> 00:08:03,839 plums will not prone cherries. Anything that's got a stone in it, don't 100 00:08:03,839 --> 00:08:07,399 prune this month. You're meant to prune them in the summer months, as 101 00:08:07,439 --> 00:08:13,199 it can affect the tree and we wouldn't want that. Rhubarb plants, if 102 00:08:13,199 --> 00:08:18,600 you're wanting to grow early rubarb, why not try forcing it. And I 103 00:08:18,639 --> 00:08:24,319 often sprinkle a bit of chicken pellet manure near the crowns to help feed them 104 00:08:24,560 --> 00:08:31,240 for the year ahead. And I saw my rhubarb crowns today. I look 105 00:08:31,279 --> 00:08:33,919 at them, and if you've not seen my Instagram post or my Facebook post, 106 00:08:35,360 --> 00:08:39,480 you'll see that it's growing really well already. And it shouldn't be growing 107 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:43,240 as fast as it is at the moment. But it's coming back to life 108 00:08:43,240 --> 00:08:48,000 pretty much fast, and I can't believe how well it's actually doing. It 109 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:52,440 will probably die off again when we get a cold spell or something like that, 110 00:08:52,480 --> 00:08:56,759 because it will just kill it off. But it certainly shouldn't be growing 111 00:08:56,799 --> 00:09:00,840 at this time of year. If it does carry on slaying, being warm 112 00:09:00,879 --> 00:09:05,279 and we don't get no frost or snow, I'll be harvested some before we 113 00:09:05,360 --> 00:09:09,200 know it. I'll be having a rubob crumble in January. What I'll be 114 00:09:09,240 --> 00:09:16,039 picked. But yeah, I'm definitely looking forward to the ruboub crumbles again. 115 00:09:16,879 --> 00:09:20,559 I don't cook myself. I give them to my mum, and my mum 116 00:09:20,639 --> 00:09:24,120 makes me all the crumbles and I just freeze them all. But that's what 117 00:09:24,240 --> 00:09:31,159 parents are for, don't tell them. So yeah, that's all the fruit 118 00:09:31,200 --> 00:09:37,159 garden jobs this month. So what else is it? What jobs to do 119 00:09:37,279 --> 00:09:41,320 in the flower garden. There's not an awful lot of jobs to be doing 120 00:09:41,320 --> 00:09:43,919 in the flower garden, but there's still a few little tiny jobs which can 121 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:48,759 be done this month. If you're going any panss in your allotment or garden, 122 00:09:50,080 --> 00:09:54,919 again, another good flower to grow, because who doesn't love the pans 123 00:09:54,000 --> 00:10:01,080 is the flower all through the winter adding color to the garden. And if 124 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,000 you look after them, they'll keep on growing well. And the way we 125 00:10:03,120 --> 00:10:07,559 look after them is that we keepheading them. Do not let them grow to 126 00:10:07,639 --> 00:10:11,840 seed. As soon as the flower starts to die, dehead it and it 127 00:10:11,879 --> 00:10:16,279 will encourage more and more flowers to grow on it, and you'll keep them 128 00:10:16,279 --> 00:10:20,840 going. And that's what we want down at the allotments. Roses, if 129 00:10:20,840 --> 00:10:26,399 you've not pruned these, they can still be done this month while the plants 130 00:10:26,440 --> 00:10:31,320 are still dormant. So if you've got any rose bushes, or you've got 131 00:10:31,360 --> 00:10:35,919 any trailing roses, what you're growing up arches and stuff like that, make 132 00:10:35,960 --> 00:10:39,600 sure you tidy them up, get them all sorted, give them a little 133 00:10:39,639 --> 00:10:43,919 prune, and yeah, get them shaped ready for the year ahead, and 134 00:10:45,039 --> 00:10:48,919 hopefully you'll get some good roses on them this year. Give them a bit 135 00:10:48,960 --> 00:10:52,480 of food ready for the year ahead again, chicken and youre or food what 136 00:10:52,559 --> 00:10:56,279 you can purchase from the shops. Just give them that little bit of attention 137 00:10:56,399 --> 00:11:01,919 and love because if you love them, they'll love you back and they'll produce 138 00:11:01,960 --> 00:11:09,039 you some fantastic flowers for the allotment. So yeah, that is basically all 139 00:11:09,120 --> 00:11:13,840 the jobs which need doing in the allotment over January. So there's not many 140 00:11:13,919 --> 00:11:16,519 jobs to be done. You could mostly do a lot of those in the 141 00:11:16,639 --> 00:11:20,799 day, to be honest, depending on how much stuff you've got in your 142 00:11:20,799 --> 00:11:26,480 guard. So there's not a lot to be doing down there. But I 143 00:11:26,519 --> 00:11:30,519 hope that you've enjoyed it. And like I say, we're going to be 144 00:11:30,519 --> 00:11:35,080 getting these podcasts out a lot more so. We've had two new episodes in 145 00:11:35,080 --> 00:11:39,360 the last couple of days. Hopefully you'll be getting a few more. Will 146 00:11:39,399 --> 00:11:43,200 be at least doing three or four a week, so make sure you stay 147 00:11:43,279 --> 00:11:46,279 tuned for them. I've got a list of podcasts what I want to do 148 00:11:46,320 --> 00:11:50,759 for this month, so hopefully we will stay on track and you'll get all 149 00:11:50,759 --> 00:11:56,879 these episodes. But please do click that subscribe button, do click that follow 150 00:11:56,919 --> 00:12:01,840 button. If you've not left a review on the podcast. Please leave a 151 00:12:01,840 --> 00:12:05,200 review. We've got a lot of five star ratings on there. You can 152 00:12:05,279 --> 00:12:09,159 leave them. If you're listening on Spotify or if you're listening on Apple, 153 00:12:09,600 --> 00:12:13,960 you can leave a review and help push it out. The more reviews I 154 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:18,600 get, it will push it out to people listening. So please do leave 155 00:12:18,639 --> 00:12:22,879 a review of my podcast. So until next time, it has been a 156 00:12:22,919 --> 00:12:28,519 shorter episode than usual, But yeah, until next time, Remember keep smiling, 157 00:12:28,919 --> 00:12:35,159 keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben. Everybody, and that wraps 158 00:12:35,279 --> 00:12:39,519 up another episode of Gardening with Ben. Thank you for joining me in this 159 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:46,279 journey. Remember, every seed planted is a step towards a greener world, 160 00:12:46,399 --> 00:12:50,799 and every day is a chance to grow something beautiful. Keep nurturing your gardens 161 00:12:50,879 --> 00:12:56,159 and your souls. Until next time, I'm Gardening with Ben reminding you to 162 00:12:56,240 --> 00:13:01,840 let your garden be your sanctray. Happy gardening, and see you in the 163 00:13:01,879 --> 00:13:09,600 next episode. Remember, keep smiling, keep shining, and keep gardening with Ben.