January Gardening Calendar

Early January

Lawn Care

·         Nothing to cut, so enjoy the break!  J

·         Make a note of areas where snow and ice tend to linger.  These are prime candidates for snow mold; damaged turf that is matted and covered with a gray or pink fungus in spring.

·         Watch for vole activity.  These rodents scurry beneath the snow eating seeds, chewing on bark, and wearing trails in the lawn.  Be prepared to do a little raking and overseeding in the spring.

·         Apply deicing compounds down the middle of walks and drives, avoiding the grass.  Use a deicing compound such as ‘Ice No Mor’ ice melt which contains AMC, the catalyst that ignites ice melting power, and calcium chloride for fast melting action.  It is safe for both concrete and surrounding vegetation when used as directed and is dyed blue for easy application and increased visibility.  It works so fast it doesn’t leave a chalky residue to track indoors, which can potentially cause damage to carpets and flooring.  Always read and follow label directions. 

·         If using regular deicing salt, shovel before applying it to reduce the amount needed to control ice on walks and drives.  It also eliminates salt-laden snow from ending up on the lawn. Note the lawn areas most affected by deicing salts.  You will want to water these areas in spring to dilute the salts and wash them through the soil.

Plantings

·         Do not shake or brush frozen snow off your plants.  This can cause more damage than if the snow was left in place.  Make a note on your calendar to prevent plant damage next season by applying winter protection in late October or November before the heavy snows arrive.

·         Keep Christmas gift plants watered, out of drafts, away from heat outlets and fertilize them every one or two weeks for continued growth and beauty.

·         Check on geraniums that you are storing in the basement or other cool, dark location for the winter.  Plant any that have started growing.  Move them to a warm, sunny location and treat them as you would your other houseplants.

·         Adjust your watering schedule to match the needs of coleus, geraniums, fuchsias, and other annuals overwintered as houseplants.  The shorter days, less intense sunlight, and low humidity of winter changes the plants’ needs.  Water the soil thoroughly and wait until the soil is slightly dry before watering again.

·         Put branches from your live Christmas tree near bird feeders to provide cover for birds.

·         Recycle your live Christmas tree by using the branches to make an attractive winter mulch.  Cover perennial and bulb plantings by cutting the evergreen branches off the tree and laying them over your garden for insulation.  Apply this winter mulch after the ground freezes.  Some years the ground freezes by Thanksgiving, while other years it does not freeze until January.  The goal is to prevent temperature extremes caused by winter thaws and fluctuating spring temperatures – not to keep the soil warm.

·         Check roses and make sure winter protection is secure.  Locate and replace any rose shelters, rose cones, or mulch that may have blown away during storm.

·         Vent rose cones on sunny days or during warm spells.  Some cones come with precut or removable vents.  If not, cut small holes on the side away from the wind and near the top of the cones.

·         Check outdoor roses for signs of animal damage.  Rabbits, deer and voles are major problems.  Properly covered roses should be safe from rabbits and deer.  Try repellants on uncovered roses that are suffering damage.

·         Monitor the health and growing conditions of miniature roses, tree roses and tropical plants that you are overwintering indoors.  Keep plants in a cool room in front of a sunny window.  Place plants on a pebble tray to increase humidity and eliminate the need to pour excess water out of the saucer.  As you water plants thoroughly, the excess will collect in the pebbles, allowing the pot to sit on the pebbles and not in the water.  As the water evaporates it will increase the humidity around the plants.

·         Check indoor roses for signs of mites and aphids.  These insects suck out the plant juices, causing the leaves to be speckled, yellow and stunted.  Cover the pot with a plastic bag.  Place plants in the shower and rinse with clear water.  This helps dislodge many of the insects.  Then spray the upper and lower leaf surfaces with insecticidal soap.  This soap is effective at killing the soft-bodied insects, such as aphids and mites, but it is safe for the plant.  Repeat once a week as needed.  You will probably need at least two to four applications to keep these pests under control.

·         Check to see that houseplants have sufficient light.

·         Check on container roses stored in the garage.  Water them whenever the soil is dry and not frozen.

·         Enjoy the seedpods, form and winter interest provided by your perennials.  Note areas that need a little lift.  Perhaps you need a few more perennials or the addition of dwarf conifers, small trees or ornamental shrubs.

·         Spend an afternoon with your seed catalogs and plot your annual flower gardens.

·         Check on non-hardy bulbs tucked away for winter storage.  Discard any soft, discolored or rotting bulbs.  Move sprouting bulbs to a cooler (45 to 50° Fahrenheit), dark location.

·         Start bringing forced bulbs planted in October out of cold storage.  Stagger forcing times to extend your indoor bloom.  Move bulbs to a cool, bright location.  Water thoroughly as the soil below the surface just begins to feel dry and wait for a glorious display.

·         Save branches from forsythia, crab apple, magnolias, pussy willows and other flowering trees and shrubs.  Recut the stems and place in a bucket of water in a cool (60° Fahrenheit), brightly lit location.  Mist the branches several times a day if possible until the stems start to bloom.  Flowering stems can be used in arrangements with other flowers or by themselves.  Prolong the blooms by storing them in a cooler spot (40° Fahrenheit) at night.

·         Now is the time to prepare your light setup for starting annual seedlings indoors.  Select an out-of-the-way area that will not be forgotten with a nearby power source.  Purchase a seed starting system or build your own.

·         You may have received an amaryllis as a gift or have one stored in the basement.  Now is the time to pot it up and get it growing.  Plant the amaryllis in a pot slightly larger than the bulb.  Place the bulb so that the pointed half is above the soil.  Fill the pot with a sterile, well-drained potting mix.  Water and move the pot to a cool, bright location, such as a sunny window in a cool room with temperatures around 60 to 65° Fahrenheit. 

Gardening

·         It’s time to plan this year’s vegetable garden.  Gather the family and review last year’s harvest.  Make a list of all the vegetables you want to grow again.   Take a look through all those catalogs that accumulated during the holidays.  Find a few new fun things to try in this year’s garden.  Get the whole family involved. 

·         Harvest herbs from your windowsill herb garden as needed for cooking.  You may need to add some extra light during these short, dark days of January.  Add artificial light to improve growth and productivity.  Keep the soil slightly moist in windowsill gardens.  Water thoroughly, allowing the excess to drain out of the bottom of the pot.  Check twice a week and water whenever the top 2 inches of soil start to dry. Cut back leggy herbs to a set of healthy leaves.  This will encourage branching and more growth for harvest.  Dry or use these pieces for cooking.

·         Check on stored vegetables.  Discard any that are shriveled or rotten.

Mid-January       

Plantings

·         Clean flats and trays for seed sowing.  Buy seed starting soil medium.

·         Monitor plants for fungus gnats, mites, aphids, and whiteflies.  Fungus gnats are the little fruit fly-like insects that can be seen flitting around your plants.  Keep the soil slightly drier to reduce their populations.  These are not harmful to the plants – just a nuisance to you.  Aphids, which are small, teardrop shaped insects, can weaken plants.  Treat outbreaks with insecticidal soap.  You may need several applications.  Try catching fungus gnats and whiteflies with yellow sticky traps placed near the plants or stuck into the soil.

·         Keep pinching back leggy geraniums, coleus, impatiens, and other annuals that you are overwintering as houseplants.  Remove the growing tips or pinch stems back to just above a set of healthy leaves.  This encourages branching and stouter stems.

·         Fertilize amaryllis and other forced bulbs when they have finished blooming.  This will help restore some of the spent energy.  Use a dilute solution of any flowering houseplant fertilizer.

·         Consider planting a pot of ryegrass for your cat.  Fill a 6-inch pot with a well-drained potting mix.  Place ryegrass seeds on the soil surface.  Lightly rake the surface to ensure good seed-to-soil contact.  Water thoroughly until the excess runs out the bottom of the pot.  Cover with plastic, or water often enough to keep the soil surface moist.  Move to a warm, sunny window.  The grass should sprout in one to two weeks.   Water until the excess runs out the drainage hole.  Water again when the top few inches begin to dry.

Late January

Plantings

·         Start pansy seeds to have large transplants ready for your early spring garden.

·         Check ornamental plums and cherries for Eastern tent caterpillar egg masses (shown right).  The eggs look like a shiny glob of mud on the stem.  Prune and destroy all that are found.

·         Watch for black rot cankers on plums and cherries.  This fungal disease causes branches to swell, turn black and crack open, releasing infected spores.  Prune out infected branches below the swollen areas.  Burn or bury cankered branches to reduce future infections.

·         Check the base of viburnum, euonymus and spirea stems for round, swollen growths called galls.  These galls eventually girdle and kill the stem.  Prune out infected stems below the gall and discard.  Disinfect your tools between cuts with rubbing alcohol or a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water.

·         Prune winter damaged branches as they are found on your shrubs.  Wait until the snow melts and the worst of winter has passed to start major pruning.  This way you can see what winter and the animals have left for you to work with.

·         Trees can be pruned during the dormant season.  It is much easier to see the overall shape of the tree and what needs to be removed.  Wait until early summer when the weather is dry to prune honeylocust trees.

·         Look for areas in your yard that would benefit from the addition of trees and shrubs.  They can provide screening, seasonal interest, shade and windbreaks.  Avoid planting too close to buildings, power lines and other utilities.  Select trees and shrubs best suited for your landscape.

·         Prune oaks in winter to reduce disease problems.

Sources:

Minnich, Jerry. The Wisconsin Garden Guide – The Complete Guide to Vegetables, Flowers, Herbs, Fruit, & Nuts, Lawn & Landscaping, Indoor Gardening. 3rd ed. Madison: Prairie Oak, 1995. Print.

Myers, Melinda. Month by Month Gardening in Wisconsin: What to Do Each Month to Have a Beautiful Garden All Year. Franklin: Cool Springs, 2006. Print.

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