It’s raining as I write this. It’s probably raining as you read this. The days might be getting a little longer but at this time of year the spring – and the excitement of a new growing season – can feel like a long way off.
But wait! Just because it’s not time for full on sowing and growing yet doesn’t mean we can’t get outside and get some jobs done to help our gardens thrive this year. Here are six things we can all do right now to get spring-ready… ok maybe not literally right now. You’re might be at work, or eating some soup, or reading this on the loo. So here are six things we can all do in our gardens in January, February, and March.
1. Sort your seeds
To ease us in, here’s the perfect rainy day activity, best carried out with a cup of tea and a slice of cake. It’s easy (especially if you’re Hannah!) to get excited about seed shopping and buy more than you need so take your time to inventory and sort what you have.
Different types of seeds have a different shelf life. Carrots and parsnip seeds, for example, don’t store well, and should be used within two years but brassicas are usually still good to sow after 5 or 6 years. Most suppliers will print either the year the seeds were packed or the year you should use them up by.
So should we just chuck all out of date seeds? It’s worth trying a viability test first as seeds don’t simply go bad once they’ve crossed the threshold into ‘old seeds’, the germination rate just starts to drop. Take around ten seeds for small seeds, or three for larger ones, and spread them out on a damp paper towel. Fold the paper towel over so the seeds are covered and pop it in a sandwich bag.
Make a note of the date and what kind of seeds they are. Check them after a few days – have they sprouted? If not leave them a few more days, up to about 12 days. What percentage of your seeds germinated? This is the germination rate you’ll get when you sow them ‘for real’ this year. If the germination rate is low you can still use up your seeds, just sow them thicker!
And if you hate the thought of wasting those sprouted little guys then as long as it’s the right time of year to sow that crop you can gently tuck them into pots or trays of compost and grow them on.
While you’re having a sort out it’s also a good time of year to think about seed storage. Seeds like really stable conditions so they don’t do well in sheds or garages that can become very cold or hot. They also need to be kept dry and away from light – think cool, dry, and dark.
And if you do need some new seeds this year – wait, don’t buy them quite yet! Cardiff has two great seed swaps each year where you can pick up free seeds. In 2026 these are taking place on…
- Saturday 14th February with US! 11am – 2pm at Railway Gardens in Splott.
- Saturday 28th February, 11am – 1pm, at Chapter Arts in Canton.
2. Give your tools some attention
Tool care – easy to put off but weirdly mindful and satisfying when you get round to it! Heading into a new growing season with clean sharp tools is a good garden habit as tools in good condition will help prevent the spread of plant diseases and help pruned plants heal quicker with less stress. It’s also a nice experience, and easier on our joints, to use sharp tools and it’ll help the tools last longer too.
Anything you use for digging or raking: Use a stiff brush to brush off any dried mud. If they’re super dirty and need a wash make sure to dry them afterwards, especially any wooden parts.
✂️ Anything you use for snipping: Stick on some gloves and give the blade a clean with some wire wool. If they feel sticky you can give them a squirt with WD40. Wipe the blade/s dry. For things like secateurs put a little drop of oil – garden toil oil or sewing machine oil or vegetable oil at a pinch – on the pivot point (the bit where the blades are joined by a nut) to keep everything running smoothly.
3. Clean pots and labels
If you’re short on time then cleaning pots isn’t essential unless you had issues with pests or plant diseases last year – we don’t wash most of our pots. But occasionally there will be some really crusty ones that need a bath. Simply fill the biggest sink or tub you have with roughly 4 parts water and 1 part cheap white vinegar and leave them to soak for a few hours before rinsing off the crud and leaving them to dry – in the sun if you happen to be blessed with any as sunlight is great for killing pathogens.
As for labels, lots of us have a stash of plastic ones hanging about so it feels good to be able to reuse them as many times as possible. There are a few ways to clean them off for reuse:
- Use a cream cleaner – The Pink Stuff does a great job
- If you’ve only written on them in pencil try just using a rubber, or possible one of those magic sponges you find in the cleaning section
- Make your own scrubby cleaner by mixing bicarb and washing up liquid to make a paste – wear gloves or you’ll scrub your finger prints off!
- For stubborn labels try a bit of white spirit or WD40
Hannah strongly recommends listening to a podcast about ghosts to make this job go quicker.
4. Plant fruit trees and bushes
Bare root trees, shrubs, and fruit bushes need to be in the ground ideally before the spring equinox on March 20th. This is their dormant season and planting them now allows them to develop healthy root systems before the days get longer and they start putting on spring growth.
If you’ve been thinking about adding or moving a fruit tree, berry bush, or a wildlife friendly shrub then as long as the ground isn’t frozen or very waterlogged now is the time to get it in the ground.
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Plus, digging tree planting holes is a good way to get warm quickly in cold weather!
5. Get your winter pruning done
Winter pruning helps plants grow vigorously when spring arrives, and it also give us a chance to shape them and manage any bits that are growing in odd directions. Not everything copes with being pruned in winter but now is a good time to prune…
- Currants, gooseberries and other fruit bushes
- Apples and pears
- Deciduous (leaf losing) trees and shrubs like flowering currant, dogwood, or cotoneaster
- Climbers like clematis and wisteria
- Autumn fruiting raspberries
This is where those clean sharp tools will make a big difference – don’t forget to give them a wipe down after pruning as plant sap will make them gummy and undo your hard work.
6. Mulch. mulch, mulch
Mulching- adding a layer of organic materials to your soil – is amazing, and there’s never a bad time to mulch. However, right now many of our pots and beds are probably as empty as they’re likely to get and we can take the opportunity layer up some nutritious, water-retaining, weed smothering, soil improving mulch. What kind of mulch can you get your hands on?
- cardboard or paper sacks,
- leaf mold
- well rotted manure
- partially rotted wood chip
- peat free compost – homemade, shop bought, or spent
Or a mix!
And finally, if the thought of pulling on outdoors clothes and getting stuck into winter jobs doesn’t feel too appealing on a grey day, remember that science says it’s like magic for our brains and bodies. Two hours a week spent outside during winter is enough to boost our immune system, combat Seasonal Affective Disorder, reduce feelings of burnout, and improve mood and sleep. Happy gardening!
