growing · January · 1 min read
Jobs To Do in January on the Cutting Patch
The month that decides your season. Planning, seed-ordering, dahlia-checking and the first sowings under cover.
January is the month that decides your season. It's cold, it's grey, and it's absolutely when the best growers quietly put the groundwork in. Here's what I do on the patch every January.
1. Order seed
Do this first. The varieties you'll actually want — 'Black Ball' cornflowers, 'Café au Lait' dahlias, specialty sweet peas — sell out by mid-February. Order now.
2. Check your dahlia tubers
If you've overwintered them in store (see To lift or not to lift), lift each one, check for soft rot, dust with sulphur if needed, and repack.
3. Plan the patch
Paper first, soil later. Draw your beds. Plan successions. Plan supports. My top tips on planning a cutting patch will get you started.
4. First sowings under cover
Sweet peas. Antirrhinums. Maybe a tray of cornflowers if you have heated propagation. Everything else can wait — cold germination is slow and the light is poor.
5. Tool service
Sharpen secateurs. Oil handles. Sort out your buckets. Service the hose connectors so April doesn't ambush you.
6. Roses — pruning and feeding
Our Rose Masterclass walks you through the pruning cuts, timing, and the three feeds we apply through the year. Get the rose work in now — it's far easier to prune before the sap rises.
7. Plan your year's courses and CPD
If you grow commercially, invest in one course a year. It pays for itself in one season. Browse the courses.
🎧 Listen to the podcast episode: The Cut Flower Podcast — January Jobs
Ready for a guided year? Join The Best Bunch Membership for monthly masterclasses and a live Q&A with me.
