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January Gardening Tips of The Month
Vegetables
Prepare garden soil for Spring planting.
Plant Seeds.
Beets, Bok Choy, Carrots, Chard, Collard Greens, Lettuce, Leek, Mustard, Green Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Spinach, Turnips.
Plant Transplants.
Artichokes (Globe & Jerusalem), Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chard, Kohlrabi, Lettuce.
Roses
Prune roses.
Transplant bare root roses.
Fruit and Nut Trees
Prune deciduous fruit trees and grapes.
Transplant bare root deciduous fruit trees. Select varieties which require less than 400 hours of chilling.
Landscape Plants
Protect plants from frost damage if the temperature is projected to drop down in to the 20's for more than an hour.
Prune nonnative deciduous shade trees.
Transplant bare root plants.
Move living Christmas Trees outside to a shaded, cool location. Transplant into permanent location as soon as soil temperatures warm.
Water at least once a month unless rains provide adequate moisture.
Control weeds while they are young, tender, and their roots are manageable, or before they sprout. Be sure to remove before they set
seed. Remove London Rocket and other weeds in the mustard family now to prevent large populations of False Chinch bugs in April.Winter watering schedules should be adjusted to about 1/3 of the summer frequency for deciduous and dormant plants, but water
deeply each time. Winter lawns and growing flowers may require once to twice per week watering depending on the weather.Make plans for Arbor Day, the last Friday in April.
Don't List . . .
DO NOT prune frost sensitive plants, especially if they have been damaged by frost.
DO NOT over water or over fertilize winter lawns as this will encourage rapid succulent growth which is vulnerable to fungal diseases.
DO NOT water turf at night when the temperatures are coolest as this fosters the growth of fungal diseases.
DO NOT mow when turf is wet. By wounding the plant (mowing) while it is wet you increase the likelihood of fungal infection. In
addition, you increase the likelihood of spreading the fungus on the tires of the mower and on your shoes.