What to do in the Garden in January

Planning-

·      Begin planning your vegetable garden!  Check local nurseries and online seed catalogs for ideas.

·      Plan to replace plants that are susceptible to disease with resistant cultivars.  See this link for ideas.

·      Get landscape inspiration by exploring one of our natural areas and marveling at God’s beautiful green earth.

Maintenance/Clean up-

·      Add mulch where it’s gotten thin.

·      Sharpen and disinfect (with rubbing alcohol) pruners and other tools.

·      Water plants under eaves or other sites that don’t receive rain.

·      Check on dahlia tubers and other stored plant material.

Planting/Propagation-

·      Bring a bouquet of forsythia, quince, cherry, or plum inside to warm up and bloom early.

·      Take hardwood cuttings of deciduous trees and shrubs.  Offer to trade with neighbors. See this link for propagation techniques.

These fig cuttings rooted in plain water and even tried to fruit!  Remove fruit so plants focus on root formation.

Pest management -

·      Scout cherry trees for signs of bacterial canker.  Remove infected branches and sterilize tools after each cut.  See blog.

·      Moss in lawns is usually not a negative – it never requires mowing or fertilizer.  In higher traffic areas, consider wood chip mulched paths since it does not handle disturbance as well as grass.