Winter gardening

So what are you able to do in your garden this winter? There is still a surprising amount jobs you can do. Gardening at this time of year brings the persistent gardener many later rewards. Being on top of your garden before Spring feels like getting your Christmas shopping done early. 

So what can you do?

Propagate. Yes it is better to take hardwood cuttings before the snow has arrived. This is because hard wood cuttings have no foliage to feed themselves and the earlier you cut them, the more sap remains providing a bigger source of energy to generate new roots.

Greater sap levels also equate to greater flexibility so if you are wishing to get creative with hazel or willow whips, lay a hedge etc. bare this in mind. Sap levels also influence wood longevity too. If you harvest green wood at the end of autumn they will last longer than those harvested in January.

Cornus, Physocarpus, Salix, Cotinus, Philapelphus, Deutzia, Ribes, Forsythia, Viburnum, vigorous species of roses all take from hard wood cuttings. Take a pencil-thick piece of stem about a hand-span in length. Trim the top at a 45 degree angle so you know which way is up easily. Then make a horizontal cut just underneath the bottom bud of the stem. Using a pencil make a long hole in free-draining compost placed in a clean pot and drop your cutting in. Washing pots is another great winter job. If you have good garden soil use this instead and add a third fine grit to improve drainage. Firm in the soil around the cutting and water well. Place outside in a moist but sheltered spot and leave but water until you see signs of growth. Then you can transplant it to a new home.

You can also plant. Hardwood cuttings can be placed directly in the soil but not when the soil is frozen. Potted, deciduous woody shrubs and trees, bare-root and root-balled specimens can be planted too as only the very top layer of soil will be affected by winter frosts. Stand on wooden boards to protect the soil. Working the soil when it is wet and frosted is not a good idea. It will spoil the soil structure. To err on the safe side wait until March to plant evergreens, or April if Spring is late.

Winter is also a good time to prune hardier shrubs and trees. If you have heavy soil, frosty times offers a good time to wander amongst your plants without fear of compacting the soil.

One plant I won’t be pruning is Choisya ternata ‘Sundance’. It is planted in a sheltered, shady spot in my garden. It needs the clutter of branches to protect its evergreen leaves from the cold. I am however giving it a daily shake to clear it of lying snow; Choisyas have brittle branches and it does not take much before they crack under pressure. 

Published in ‘at Home’ a supplement of the Scotland on Sunday in December 2010