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January

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

Flowers & Ornamental Grasses

  • Start a garden journal to record new plants added to the landscape, successes, challenges and extreme weather conditions. Include any other information that will help in future planning and maintenance of your landscape.
  • Water containers overwintered in an unheated garage or mulched in above ground whenever the soil is thawed and dry.  Or shovel a scoop of salt-free snow on the pot to water the soil as it melts.
  • Start planning for new additions to your flowerbeds. Review pictures of your garden and notes in your journal to help with planning.
  • Inventory leftover seeds, create a list of additional seeds you want to purchase, and place your order early for the greatest selection.
  • Gather then purchase any containers, sterile seed starting mix, seeds, lights and other equipment needed for starting your own plants from seeds indoors.
  • Create a seeding chart for recording plant names, starting dates and other important information. This will help you stay on schedule for planting indoors and out.
  • Eliminate the need for lights and daily watering with winter sowing. Start seeds of cool weather annual flowers and vegetables as well as hardy perennials with this method.
  • Check on dahlias, cannas and any other bulbs overwintering indoors. Discard any soft, discolored or rotting bulbs. Move sprouted bulbs to a cooler, dark location.
  • Southern gardeners can start planting seeds of cool weather herbs, vegetables, annual flowers and perennials indoors. Check seed packets for timing and growing tips.
  • Southern gardeners can start planting alyssum, larkspur and California, Iceland and Shirley poppy seeds directly in the garden as soon as the soil can be worked.
  • Plant pre-cooled tulip and daffodil bulbs in a prepared garden or container when the soil is moist, but not wet.
  • Continue to minimize salt damage to plants by shoveling first and then applying a plant-friendly deicing salt to walks and drives.
  • Recycle your Christmas tree and greens in your landscape. Prune branches off the tree and use the greens for a winter mulch.
  • Check for tracks and other signs of vole damage in your perennial gardens and mixed borders.  These critters, also called meadow mice, may start nibbling on fleshy roots of perennials like daylily, Siberian iris, and hosta.

Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs

Fruits, Vegetables & Herbs

  • Make this the year you start a garden journal. Track plant additions, successes, failures and weather extremes. Include any information that will help in future planning and maintenance of your landscape.
  • Add a little zip and nutrition to your winter meals with homegrown microgreens.
  • Start a windowsill herb garden in a sunny window or under artificial lights.
  • Harvest herbs as needed for cooking.  Cut back leggy plants to a set of healthy leaves to encourage new growth. Use trimmings to season your favorite dishes.
  • Inventory leftover seeds, check catalogues for new and favorite varieties, create a list of seeds you want to purchase, and place your order early for the greatest selection.
  • Gather and purchase any supplies and equipment you’ll need for starting plants from seeds indoors.
  • Create a seeding chart for recording plant names, starting dates and other important information. This will help you stay on schedule for planting indoors and out.
  • Eliminate the need for lights and daily watering with winter sowing. Start seeds of cool weather vegetables and hardy fruit plants with this method.
  • Southern gardeners can start planting seeds of herbs, vegetables, and strawberries indoors. Check seed packets for timing and growing tips.
  • Gardeners in colder regions should check winter mulches on strawberries.  Replace any that were dislodged by bad weather.

Groundcovers & Vines

Groundcovers & Vines

Indoor & Holiday Plants

Indoor & Holiday Plants

Lawns

Lawns

  • Continue to shovel snow first and then use a plant- and pet-friendly deicing salt as needed.  You’ll use less deicing salt and reduce salt damage to your lawn and landscape plants. 
  • Check for tracks in the lawn caused by vole activity. Make note and plan on repairing any damage in the spring.
  • Minimize foot and avoid equipment traffic on dry or frozen grass.

Trees, Shrubs & Roses

Trees, Shrubs & Roses

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