Monthly Gardener Calendar
Suggestions and ideas to help you enjoy gardening! 🌹
January
Planning
Planning
- Record any plans on paper for changes or improvements in the garden. This will help you avoid mistakes and save time, effort, and money.
- Order seeds early for planting because companies may run out of the more popular varieties.
- Set out dormant trees and shrubs. Container, bare-root, and balled-and-burlapped (B&B) plants are all available this time of year. Your planting site should be well-drained. Place plants at or slightly above the existing soil level.
- Plant onions, poppies, and larkspur.
- Apply lime to lawns if a soil test analysis recommends (any month).
- Spray dormant oil for scale control on broad-leaved evergreens and fruit trees.
- Remove dead, diseased, or broken limbs on all trees.
- Lightly trim shrubs if they are creating a hazard.
- Dispose of clippings to prevent spread of disease or insect issues.
- Keep bird feeders stocked. Provide water for birds.
- Collect scion wood for grafting and store in a cool, dry place.
- Protect tender plants during periods of extreme cold.
- Collect winter berries and tree needles for a winter potpourri. Mahonia and aucuba will root in water indoors and provide color from the outdoors.
- A small amount of sugar in the water will help prevent cut holly branches from losing berries. Wash and dust leaves of house plants.
- Inspect house plants for insects and diseases. Treat as needed with a safe indoor insecticide and fungicide.
- Repair and sharpen mower blades and gardening tools.
- Order new pots and markers.
- Check condition of sprayers and repair or replace if needed.
- Camellias, winter honeysuckle, winter jasmine, flowering quince (South Mississippi).
- Pansies, violas.
- Dogwoods, yaupon hollies, Chinese hollies, cotoneasters, pyracanthas, nandinas
