Any gardener will tell you that successful gardening always starts with the soil. Look after your soil and you’ll be able to grow a far greater range of plants. Ideally what you need is a fertile, well-drained, moisture retentive loam. But chances are your soil will be anything but that. In my neck of the woods here in Dulwich it’s a heavy London clay. If uncared for it becomes compacted and waterlogged in winter and cracks and dries as hard as concrete in summer.

But a bit of time and effort can change all that and now is the time of year to do it. The best way to improve any soil, clay or otherwise, is by the addition of organic matter. This could be homemade garden compost or leafmould, rotted farm manure or composted bark. When added to soil organic matter improves the aeration, water-retention and drainage of the soil and, as it is broken down by soil organisms, adds nutrients as well.  My preference is a well-rotted farm manure as it tends to have higher nutrient levels and when mixed with the soil is great for making clay more workable.  

If your soil is in particularly poor condition and hasn’t been blessed with organic matter for many a year, forking it into the soil will really help, especially if new plantings are to follow. Otherwise, you can just spread it over the surface as a mulch and let the worms and other soil critters do the rest. When spread thickly about 5cm (2 in) deep, mulches also help to conserve soil moisture and suppress weed seeds from germinating. I also think the dark rich texture really sets off garden plants as they burst into life in spring. And burst into life they will, if only to thank you for looking after their world.

Whilst a typical January may not entice you out into the garden, the relatively mild winter we’ve had so far means there’s lots to be getting on with. January is a great time to take stock of the garden and plan any changes.

Evergreen shrubs come into their own at this time of year, providing structure, colour and habitats for wildlife. Without any evergreen plants, gardens seem flat and lifeless in winter. Plan now where you need them and plant them in early spring.

When the ground is not frozen or too wet, deciduous trees, shrubs, roses and hedging plants can be planted now. Many can be bought bare root at this time of year, which are cheaper, easier to plant and tend to establish better, the roots having not been confined in a pot.

Many deciduous trees, shrubs and climbers can be pruned now while they are dormant, to create a better shape and encourage flowers and fruiting. Apple trees, pear trees and wisteria should all be pruned back to form flowering spurs. Bush and shrub roses should be pruned too. If you’re not sure how hard to prune them, a good rule of thumb is to halve their height, pruning back to just above an outward facing bud. After pruning climbing roses, the long branches should be tied in horizontally to supports. This will result in more flowers come summer.

Get in touch if you would like more advice or assistance with winter planting and pruning.