January

Check stored vegetables (root vegetables, tuber vegetables, etc.) on a regular basis. Immediately remove any rotting vegetables.

Harvesting can also continue into January if suitable vegetables such as curly kale, Brussels sprouts, Chinese cabbage, lamb’s lettuce or leek have been planted and the weather permits harvesting. If the vegetable bed is already frozen, you should not touch or harvest the vegetables as tissue damage may occur even at the lightest touch and lead to rotting.

Piles of brushwood or leaves and piles of felled wood offer insects, hedgehogs, shrews, lizards, weasels and many other animals a good hiding place. Toads and frogs often like to hide in a shallow hollow in the ground with a slab of stone laid over it. The animal should not be disturbed during the winter as this can be life-threatening for them.

Now is a good time to think about the layout of your vegetable beds and mixed crops. Very few crops tolerate growing in the same area as the previous year. Pathogens from hard to combat diseases such as clubroot accumulate in the soil and infect vegetable crops the following year. To keep plants healthy it is important to maintain a good rotation system. Find out about new vegetable varieties that are resistant to disease in good time. You should be able to obtain some seeds from your specialist dealer now.

In winter you have plenty of time to maintain your gardening equipment. Thoroughly clean your tools and free them of dirt and rust. Thoroughly check the stability of the handles and replace them if necessary. Pay attention to the length of the tool, which should vary depending on height. Working with unsuitable garden tools not only makes it less fun but it can also damage your body. Also check to see whether you need new garden tools. Always choose high quality materials when you select new tools as this will prolong the enjoyment of working in the garden.