Mulch to do for gardeners in January

Gardeners short of ideas to keep them busy in their garden or greenhouse over the colder months should look no further than the Daily Mails list of January gardening tips.

The newspaper suggests the first month of the year is used to prepare the garden and greenhouse for spring by removing dead foliage and cleaning up "herbaceous material".

Savvy gardeners will avoid spring-time queues and hassle by having their lawnmowers serviced now during the quiet period.

Mulching will also help to allow the soil to breathe, while retaining moisture and suppressing weeds.

The daily newspaper even goes as far as describing mulching as a "cure-all" for soil issues.

Environmentally-aware gardeners should opt for "home compost, spent mushroom compost and Strulch", according to the paper.

Strulch is a mulching product made from straw for organic gardening.

The Royal Horticultural Society also makes a case for organic mulches by saying they can be made from a number of things, including garden compost, woodchip, leafmould, bark, spent hopps, cocoa shells and grass clippings.