January marks the start of a brand new year and a brand new growing season.
January is undoubtedly one of the most dreaded months of the year with the freezing weather.
However, there are a huge amount of gardening jobs that need to be completed in January to get your garden up to date and ready for the year ahead, claims William Mitchell of Sutton Manor Nursery.
From clearing weeds to pruning plants, the gardening expert has shared a whole range of jobs to be getting on with in the garden – but there’s one that can lead to “serious damage” for entire gardens if not carried out now.
William claimed that raking up fallen leaves from lawns and borders is a must right now.
While leaves are not traditionally a winter stereotype, it does not mean that they just disappear the moment winter comes.
Leaves are still falling regularly in January and therefore you must rake them up. Although they look pretty with their autumnal colours, they can cause a “serious amount of damage”.
William warned: “If leaves are left for too long then they will begin to decay.
“This can be hugely dangerous for your garden for several reasons. One reason is that decaying leaves can be a breeding ground for bacteria that can then spread throughout your garden and cause considerable amounts of damage.”
Another reason is that the decaying leaves produce a substance called tannin. The expert explained that tannin is an extremely strong dye that can “cause a huge amount of discolouration” to your lawn which can be “extremely difficult to get rid of” and can cause “permanent damage” to gardens.
A simple way to clear leaves on lawns is to use the lawn mower, according to the experts at Stihl.
In terms of effort required, it’s a good compromise between a rake and a leaf vacuum. Run your lawn mower over the leaves, and it will collect them in the grass collection box or bag.
A rake is the “simplest and most affordable” way of dealing with fallen leaves for pathways and borders. It does require some effort though.
Leave blowers on the other hand are a quick and reliable way of clearing spaces by collecting large quantities of leaves into a neat pile.
These powerful gadgets are well-designed and ideal for those who have gardens on the larger side.
