🌿 What to Do on Your Allotment in January

-

 

🌿 What to Do on Your Allotment in January

Frosty allotment beds and shed at sunrise — quiet winter scene with soft light and bare soil.


January is the quietest month on the allotment — and that’s a good thing. This is the month for gentle preparation, small wins, and the kind of slow, steady tasks that make spring feel less overwhelming when it arrives.

Nothing needs to be rushed. Nothing needs to be perfect. Just a few calm jobs, indoors and out, to keep you connected to your plot.

🌱 1. Walk the Plot and Take Stock

A simple walk-around is one of the most useful things you can do in January.

Look for:

  • wind damage

  • loose netting

  • broken canes

  • shed or greenhouse issues

  • beds that need topping up

  • areas that get waterlogged

You’re not fixing everything today — you’re just noticing.

🌿 2. Clear Old Crops and Tidy Beds

If the soil isn’t frozen or waterlogged, you can gently tidy:

  • remove dead annuals

  • pull out old brassica stems

  • cut back spent growth

  • clear weeds while they’re small

Avoid digging wet soil — it does more harm than good. Surface‑level tidying is enough.

🔧 3. Tool Maintenance (Perfect January Job)

This is the month to give your tools a bit of care.

  • clean mud and rust from spades, forks, and hoes

  • sharpen blades (secateurs, loppers, hoes)

  • oil moving parts

  • tighten loose screws

  • check handles for cracks

  • replace anything that’s beyond saving

A sharp, clean tool makes spring work easier and safer.

🛖 4. Shed Jobs for Cold Days

January is shed season — the place where you can potter without freezing.

Good shed tasks include:

  • sorting seeds

  • checking expiry dates

  • organising pots and trays

  • cleaning labels

  • washing seed trays

  • repairing broken tools

  • planning your layout for the year

  • making a list of what you actually need (not what the shops tell you to buy)

And while you’re in the shed, don’t forget the essentials that make winter pottering bearable. If you’d like to put together a simple, reliable brew kit for the plot, you can find our guide here.

A tidy shed in January feels like a gift to your future self.

🐭 5. Pest‑Proof the Shed

Winter is when mice and rats look for warm, dry places — and an allotment shed is perfect if you don’t make it less inviting. A few simple steps now protect your seeds, tools, and wiring for the whole year.

  • Seal gaps and entry points Even a gap the width of a finger is enough for a mouse. Check around the base, roofline, and door frame.

  • Use metal scourers for awkward holes Pull stainless‑steel scourers apart and stuff the fibres firmly into small gaps. Rodents won’t chew through them, and they allow airflow without letting anything in.

  • Store seeds in airtight containers Mice love seed packets. A metal tin, glass jar, or sturdy plastic box keeps everything safe.

  • Lift anything edible off the floor Bird food, chicken pellets, seed potatoes — all should be stored high or sealed.

  • Use metal bins for feed or compostables Rodents can chew through plastic surprisingly quickly.

  • Look for early signs Shredded paper, droppings, or gnawed corners mean it’s time to act.

  • Avoid poison Prevention is safer and more wildlife‑friendly.

This is a quiet, once‑a‑year job that saves a lot of frustration later.

🌾 6. Mulch Beds (If Conditions Allow)

If your soil is workable, add a layer of:

  • compost

  • leaf mould

  • well‑rotted manure

This protects soil life, suppresses weeds, and locks in winter moisture.

If the soil is frozen or waterlogged, wait — mulching on top of ice isn’t helpful.

🌬️ 7. Check Wind Protection

January winds can undo a lot of autumn work.

Check:

  • fleece

  • cloches

  • netting

  • greenhouse panes

  • shed roofs

  • water butt lids

A few minutes now prevents headaches later.

🌱 8. Early Sowings — What You Can and Can’t Do in January

January is not the month for big sowing sessions, and most allotment sheds aren’t suitable for germinating seeds. They’re usually:

  • unheated

  • dark

  • damp

  • prone to freezing overnight

So while the shed is perfect for preparing trays and organising seeds, it’s not warm enough to start most crops.

What you can start without heat

These hardy types cope well with cold conditions:

  • broad beans (in pots or modules)

  • sweet peas

  • garlic (directly outside)

What needs to be started at home

Anything that needs warmth — such as:

  • onions from seed

  • leeks

  • chillies

  • tomatoes (later on)

Prepare your trays in the shed, then take them home to a windowsill or propagator to germinate.

This keeps things simple, reliable, and frustration‑free.

🧭 9. Plan Your Plot for the Year Ahead

This is the perfect month for quiet planning.

  • sketch your beds

  • rotate crops

  • choose varieties

  • decide what you actually want to grow

  • set realistic goals

  • think about time, not just space

A simple plan now saves overwhelm later.

🪵 10. Compost and Path Maintenance

If the ground is too wet to work:

  • top up woodchip paths

  • turn compost if it’s not frozen

  • check your compost bin for insulation

  • gather cardboard for future mulching

These small jobs make spring feel smoother.

🌸 11. Enjoy the Slow Start

January isn’t about productivity. It’s about easing into the year, noticing the light returning, and doing just enough to feel connected to your plot.

A few calm tasks now set the tone for the whole season.

Popular posts from this blog

A Pocket‑Sized Brew Kit for Allotments

-
Image
  Simple, Cheap, and Perfect for Your Plot Spending time on an allotment is one of life’s great pleasures — but it can also be chilly, damp, and hard‑going, especially in early mornings or late afternoons. Whether you’re digging beds, sowing seeds, or just popping down to check on things, a hot drink can make the whole experience more enjoyable. The good news is: you don’t need a shed full of gear or a heavy flask. This tiny brew kit is cheap, simple, and small enough to live in your coat pocket , ready for whenever you fancy a warm drink on your plot. A Simple Box, Repurposed The kit starts with something most people already have lying around: a small cardboard, tin or plastic box. In this case, it was the box from a Shadowhawk torch. To keep everything dry, the contents are packed inside a self‑sealing ziplock bag. No fancy camping gear. No expensive organisers. Just reuse what you already have — very much in the spirit of allotment life. Photo label: Shadowhawk box repurposed a...
Read more

🌿Start Here: A Beginner’s Guide to Allotments

-
  🌿  A Beginner’s Guide to Allotments If you’re new to allotments, thinking about taking one on, or standing on your first plot wondering where to even begin — you’re in the right place. This blog is here to make the whole thing feel less overwhelming and a lot more enjoyable. No jargon, no judgement, no “you must do it this way”. Just honest, practical advice from people who have been through the same first‑time nerves, mistakes, surprises, and small victories. Whether you’ve just got your keys, you’re still on a waiting list, or you’re trying to figure out what tools you actually need, or even its just a dream, this guide will walk you through it step by step. 🌱  Start the Beginner’s Guide Here Below is the full series in order. Each part is short, friendly, and designed to help you build confidence as you go. Part 1 – Thinking About an Allotment Part 2 – Types of Allotment Sites                         ...
Read more

🌱 Thinking About an Allotment

-
  Part One of the Allotmenteer Beginner’s Guide The quiet moment before you take the leap There’s a point many people reach — often quietly, almost privately — when the idea of an allotment starts to take root. Maybe you’ve walked past a row of sheds on a summer evening. Maybe you’ve tasted something home‑grown and wondered why supermarket veg never tastes the same. Maybe you’re craving a bit of peace, a project, or a reason to get outside. Whatever brought you here, this is the moment where an allotment shifts from a vague idea to a real possibility. Before you apply, before you join a waiting list, before you even look at a plot, it’s worth pausing to think about what an allotment actually means — and whether it fits the life you have right now. This article is about that moment. 🌿 What Draws People to Allotments Everyone arrives with their own reasons, but a few themes come up again and again: Fresh food — the taste of something you grew yourself is incomparable. Time outdoors...
Read more