January Gardening Tasks

New Year, New Opportunities in the Garden

A new year brings fresh opportunities for growth — and that includes your garden! As summer hits its stride, it’s the perfect time to take stock, tackle key tasks, and set your garden up for success. With a few tasks, you’ll keep your garden looking lush, productive, and full of colour.

Summer Care Tips

Keep It Cool and Covered

Mulching isn’t just for weed control – it’s your garden’s natural protection!

Apply a fresh layer (up to 10cm) of Daltons Premium Mulch & Grow around trees, shrubs, and garden beds to lock in moisture and protect roots from the intense summer sun.
For extra benefits, try a 'living mulch' of low-growing ground covers like creeping thyme or nasturtiums that double as companion plants. Check out flowering ground covers from our friends at Kings Seeds here.

Make the Most of Rain

Water restrictions are common in summer, so make the most of any rainfall by collecting it in containers or rain barrels.

Cover barrels or containers with fine mesh to keep mosquitos and other pests out.
Use the stored rainwater to keep your garden thriving.

Nourish and Strengthen with Seaweed

Like us, plants get stressed in the hot summer heat. Give them a helping hand with our natural seaweed solutions made from sustainably sourced seaweed from New Zealand’s Marlborough Sounds. These products boost root growth, improve plant health, and build resilience against heat, drought, and pests.

Apply every 2-3 weeks as a foliar (leaf) spray or water directly into the soil.
For best results, apply in the early morning or late afternoon to reduce evaporation and maximise plant uptake.

Container Garden Care

Container plants dry out the fastest in the heat.

Water pots deeply to fully hydrate the root ball and place a saucer underneath to catch excess water and boost humidity.
Shift pots to shaded areas during extreme heat.
Group pots together to create a microclimate that helps retain moisture.
Mix Daltons Water Storage Crystals into the potting mix to help reduce the need for constant watering.

In the Vegetable Garden

It’s a busy month in the veggie patch!

Keep your garden productive by planting fast-growers like radish, spring onions, and lettuce. Sow carrots and parsnips for a late-summer harvest.
If space allows, plant climbing beans or cucumbers for a vertical growing solution.
Harvest regularly to prevent plants from going to seed.
Boost soil health with a side dressing of Garden Time Compost.

Keep Veggies Happy in the Heat

Provide shade for leafy greens like lettuce and spinach in hot sunny spots to prevent them from bolting. Use shade cloth or old net curtains draped over hoops to keep temperatures down.
Water deeply and early in the morning to give roots time to soak up moisture before the heat hits.

Pest & Diseases

In summer, pest activity often increases, and disease can start appearing.

Look out for caterpillars, aphids, and whiteflies, and diseases like powdery mildew, blight, rust and black spot. See our comprehensive Q&A guides for advice on tacking pests.
Beneficial insects like ladybirds can also help manage pest populations naturally.

Herb Harvest & Care

Harvest herbs like basil, chives, and parsley regularly to encourage fresh growth.
Dry and store herbs like oregano, thyme, and sage to use in winter.
Sow coriander and dill, as they prefer summer’s warmth but bolt quickly – stagger sowing every two weeks for a continuous supply.
Pinch off flowers on basil to keep leaves sweet and tender.
Mulch herb beds with Daltons Premium Mulch & Grow to keep roots from drying out.
Grow mint in pots to prevent it from spreading through the garden.

Summer Flowering Annuals

Bring new life to flower beds or pots with summer showstoppers like cosmos, snapdragons and other potted colour from your local garden centre.
Sow seeds for late-blooming flowers to ensure a vibrant garden right through to autumn.
Pinch back leggy growth on petunias and calibrachoas to encourage bushy new growth.

Rose Care

If your roses are looking tired, give them a gentle summer trim. Cut back dead or leggy growth to the nearest node encourage fresh blooms. When making your cuts, bear in mind they need to be as clean as possible and positioned just above a bud. Always cut at a 45-degree angle so rainwater runs off.
Keep spraying to protect against fungal diseases like black spot.
Don't apply fertiliser during the height of summer when plants are struggling with the heat. Instead, support them with a feed of Garden Time Seafeed.

Berry & Fruit Tree Care

Last of the Strawberries

Harvest the last of your strawberries before plants shift energy into runners.

If your plants are producing runners, snip them off the mother plant and pot them up to create new plants for next season.
Tidy up plants by removing old leaves and debris, which can attract pests like slugs and disease like botrytis (grey mould).

Fruit Trees

Enjoy feasting on juicy fresh peaches, plums, nectarines, and apricots!

Check for signs of excessive fruit drop on trees, which can indicate water stress.
Water deeply at the drip line of trees, and mulch with Daltons Premium Mulch & Grow to reduce moisture loss.