What to do in the Garden in January

Sustainable gardening

The Oregon State University Extension Service encourages sustainable gardening practices.

Preventive pest management is emphasized over reactive pest control. Identify and monitor problems before acting and opt for the least toxic approach that will remedy the problem. The conservation of biological control agents (predators, parasitoids) should be favored over chemical controls.

Use chemical controls only when necessary and only after thoroughly reading the pesticide label. First consider cultural, then physical, and biological controls. Choose the least-toxic options if you have tried physical and biological controls and must resort to pesticides (insecticidal soaps, horticultural oils, botanical insecticides, and organic and synthetic pesticides — when used judiciously).

• Gather branches of spring flowering shrubs or trees and bring indoors to force an early bloom.   See this link
• Here is a list of possible species for forcing:
• Cercis canadensis-Redbud
  Chaenomeles spp-Japanese or Flowering Quince 
  Cornus florida-Flowering Dogwood 
  Hamamelis vernalis-Vernal Witch Hazel 
  Crataegus spp-Hawthorn 
  Forsythis spp-Forsythia 
  Lonicera spp-Honeysuckle 
  Magnolia soulangiana-Saucer Magnolia 
  Magnolia stellata-Star Magnolia 
  Malus spp-Apple and Crabapple 
  Prunus spp-Flowering Almond, Cherry & Plum 
  Salix caprea-European Pussy Willow 
  Spiraea spp-Spirea 
  Syringa spp-Lilac 
  Viburnum spp-Viburnum

Planning

• Plan to replace varieties of ornamental plants that are susceptible to disease with resistant cultivars in February.
• Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous ornamental shrubs and trees for propagation.
• Have your soil tested in your garden plot to determine its nutrient needs. Here is a guide to collecting soil samples.  The Master Gardener help desk can test the pH for you or check this list of laboratories for a more complete soil test (for a fee). Click this link for a list of laboratories serving Oregon.  
• Begin planning this year’s vegetable garden. Check with local retail garden or nursery stores for seeds and seed catalogs.
• Keep a garden journal. Consult your journal in the winter, so you can better plan for the growing season.

Maintenance and Clean Up

• If necessary, place windbreaks to protect sensitive landscape evergreens against cold, drying winds.
• Reapply or redistribute mulch that has blown or washed away during winter.
• Clean pruners and other small garden tools with rubbing alcohol.
• Water landscape plants underneath wide eaves, covered porches, greenhouses, garages, and in other sites shielded from rain.

• If possible, avoid walking on lawns until frost has melted.

Pest Monitoring and Management

• Scout cherry trees for signs and symptoms of bacterial canker. Remove infected branches with a clean pruner or saw. Sterilize tools before each new cut. Burn or send to landfill before bloom. See this link for Managing Diseases and Insects in Home Orchards.
• Watch for field mice damage on lower trunks of trees and shrubs. Eliminate hiding places by removing weeds and keeping mulch a few inches away from trunks.
• Use dormant sprays of lime sulfur or copper fungicide on roses for general disease control, or, better yet, plan to replace susceptible varieties that have been doing poorly with resistant cultivars.   List of Rose Cultivars' Resistance to Disease

• Moss occurs in lawns due to shade or poor drainage. This is not usually a problem – moss doesn’t require mowing and still provides a soft green surface.  If your site is heavy in foot traffic and becomes unsightly, installing mulched paths may be a good option.  If more grass is desired, careful limbing up of trees to the south of the site may be helpful.  If poor drainage is an issue, consider working with nature and planting the area as you would a rain garden.  See the free download of the Oregon Rain Garden Guide for ideas.  After you click the link look at the bottom of the page for the free download.  
• Mid-January: Spray peach trees with approved fungicides to combat peach leaf curl and shothole.  Better yet, consider planting curl-resistant cultivars such as Frost, Q1-8, or Creswell.
• Monitor landscape plants for problems. Don't treat unless a problem is identified.

Houseplants and Indoor Gardening

• Monitor houseplants for correct water and fertilizer; guard against insect infestations; clean dust from leaves with a soft damp cloth or a brief shower.  If you have hard water and the resulting hard water deposits may be unsightly, collect a little rainwater to use as a last rinse for your plant’s shower.
• Protect sensitive plants such as weeping figs from cold drafts in the house.
• Propagate split-leaf philodendrons and other leggy indoor plants by making vegetative cuttings or air-layering.  
• Plant dwarf annual flowers inside for houseplants, including coleus, impatiens, and seedling geraniums.