It's time to: January

Water 

Water your garden effectively using a watering system or sprinkler to moisten the soil deeply. Water in the evening or early morning to reduce evaporation loss. Apply a soil wetter such as Eco-hydrate or Hydroflo if your soil has become water-repellent.

 

Check

Walk in the garden regularly to check for early signs of insect or disease attack. Quick action will often save precious plants.

 

Compost

Turn your compost heap weekly, and ensure it is sufficiently moist. The warm days of summer are ideal for composting. If you have too many lawn clippings in the heap, add some straw or torn cardboard boxes to provide more carbon, and some organic fertiliser or manure to improve the mix.

 

When you have an hour

Put the garden in post-holiday order: mow the lawn, sweep the paved areas and give hedges and leggy plants a light haircut. Tackle any weeds that have sprung up while you’ve been relaxing and finish up with a refreshing tonic of hose-on seaweed solution.