Pruning
It’s time to get out those secateurs and prune any shrubs, rose bushes and fruit trees. For rose bushes make sure that you cut off the dead heads and any diseased or broken stems. If the plant is quite bushy, you should cut back the stems to a bud which faces outwards and leave them at about half of the original length. Pruning is the way to encourage new growth and ensure that your trees and bushes look healthy, some bushes can be cut two thirds of the way back, but don’t be over zealous.Divide and Separate
Plants like snowdrops, which have flowered in the winter can now be dug up and separated if there are large clumps of them. You must ensure that they have finished flowering, but still have their green leaves. This is a great way to add more colour to your winter garden next year. Many of us have inherited a wealth of winter crocus and snowdrops from previous owners and given that most Bulgarian gardens are designed for more practical than aesthetic uses, they tend to be planted in random clumps with no thought to design. Be careful as you tease the bulbs apart to avoid any damage and be sure to replant them at the same depth as they were originally. Later in the month you can divide evergreen shrubs and hedges or plant new ones. As the soil becomes warmer, new roots will grow immediately.Adding Fertiliser
You might not see your Bulgarian neighbour sprinkling bags of fertiliser over their fruit and nut trees, but this is more an issue of cost than need. If you have hedges and fruit trees sprinkle general purpose fertiliser around the base to ensure they remain healthy, then cover it with compost of decomposed leaves. The key minerals to include are potassium, nitrogen and phosphorus and you will be able to purchase good fertiliser from all DIY chains.Paint Your Tree Trunks
Something we don’t tend to do in the West is paint our tree trunks white! Yet this simple task will prevent deciduous fruit and nut trees from injuries caused by late frosts. If frost is allowed to penetrate the bark whilst the tree is in the early growth period plant pathogens like P. Syringae can enter and infect a healthy tree. Even if you painted your trees in autumn it is time to give them another fresh coat of matt whitewash paint (a 50/50 blend of paint and water) with a pinch of Funguran commonly known as copper oxychloride. The paint will reflect the sunlight so the bark does not become warm and cause cracks, which will let in the frost. Additionally crawling insects will be deterred from entering cracks in the bark.Planting Seeds
Now is the time to fill old yoghurt pots with seedlings of veg like peppers, potatoes, cucumbers and aubergines and summer flowers. Most local shops are selling packets now but it is important to keep them well watered and indoors. Remember to put a stick into each seed tray with the name of the seedling and the day you planted it so that you can stick to the planting schedule on the seed packet. If your garden was sadly lacking in colour last year then now is the time to plant a good selection of summer flowering bulbs, but again you need to keep them in a green house or indoors.There are some plants, which can be sown under cloches outdoors like broad beans, beetroots, Brussels sprouts, summer cabbages, leeks, lettuces, hardy peas and radishes.
