Landscape gardener Bunny Guinness has shared the key job British gardeners should do in December or January to protect plants and improve soil health through mulching
Mulching is a crucial job at this time of year(Image: Getty Images)
British gardening enthusiasts have been advised to complete one “crucial task” by the end of January, as recommended by a professional landscape gardener. Bunny Guinness from Gardener’s Question Time suggests that those with a passion for horticulture should be focusing on their mulching throughout the remainder of December and into January.
Mulching involves applying a layer of material such as bark, compost, straw, or wood chips over the soil’s surface. It offers numerous advantages for your garden, including moisture retention, weed suppression, soil temperature regulation, and nutrient addition as the mulch decomposes.
Moreover, it serves as a protective cover, minimising water loss and insulating roots from severe temperatures, gradually nourishing the soil as organic mulches break down. According to Bunny, this is one of the essential tasks to undertake during the chilliest winter months.
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In her column for the Daily Telegraph, she stated: “Mulching is a key job at this time of year. This year, I have plenty of top soil to use, taken from the old patch of lawn that I stripped back after killing off the grass.
“I will top up my raised vegetable beds with it to increase the mineral content of the soil. Having put on various organic mulches for the past 40 years – bark, digestate, homemade compost and leaf mould – I am hoping to balance up the proper ‘soil’ element.”, reports the Express.
“It will be fascinating to discover whether my harvests show improvement. Meanwhile, across my decorative flower beds, I’m applying a generous 50mm coating of bark mulch, whilst my more delicate specimens such as dahlias and cannas will receive 100mm or greater coverage, ensuring they remain protected from harsher frosts.”
Bunny serves as a frequent contributor on BBC Radio 4’s Gardener’s Question Time whilst also showcasing regularly at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, where she has secured six gold medals.
Beyond the significance of mulching, there are numerous additional tasks she undertakes in the garden throughout winter.
Among these is sowing vegetables, and she cautions British gardeners that “it’s not too late to plant”.
She explains: “My vegetable beds are best if kept full of plants: it helps stop the heavy rain from leaching all the goodness from the soil, feeds the family, and keeps the soil structure in better health.
“My broad beans and onion sets are in now, but it’s not too late to plant. I sow all my beans inside and plant out only after they have three or four leaves.”
Additional duties that Bunny aims to accomplish during the chilly winter period include purchasing her seeds, constructing protection for more vulnerable plants and repositioning specimens to occupy empty spaces.
She also cautioned it “can be risky” to delay bulb planting until January.
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