This Month
Seasonal tasks for Scottish gardens
January
The quietest month on the plot. A good time for planning, ordering seeds, and dreaming of the season ahead.
What to Sow
Indoors
- β’Onions (mid-month onwards)
- β’Chillies and peppers (need long season)
- β’Early tomatoes (late January)
Outdoors
No outdoor sowing this month
Plant Out
- β’Garlic cloves (if ground workable)
- β’Bare-root fruit trees and bushes
Ready to Harvest
- β’Leeks
- β’Parsnips (sweeter after frost)
- β’Brussels sprouts
- β’Kale
- β’Winter cabbage
- β’Stored roots
Key Tasks
- β’Order seeds early for best selection
- β’Plan this year's crop rotation on paper
- β’Clean and sharpen tools
- β’Check stored veg and remove any rotting
- β’Prune apple and pear trees on dry days
- β’Force rhubarb with an upturned bucket
- β’Dig over empty beds when ground allows
Tips & Insights
Weather
Expect hard frosts and possible snow. Ground often frozen or waterlogged. Shortest days, but light is returning.
Tip of the Month
A quiet month is a gift. Use it to flip through seed catalogues and make notes about what worked last year.
Soil Care
Add compost and organic matter to improve structure. Mulch bare soil to retain moisture.
Composting
Turn your heap if not frozen. Add shredded Christmas tree branches for carbon. Kitchen scraps keep the heap ticking over.
Crop Rotation
Perfect time to sketch your rotation plan. Where did brassicas grow last year? That bed should get legumes or roots this season.
Companions
While planning, group friendly plants together: tomatoes with basil, carrots near alliums, brassicas away from strawberries.
Organic
Order organic seeds now. Check your comfrey patch β established plants can be divided in dormancy.