January Gardening Calendar - Master Gardeners of Hamilton County

By January, gardening is the last thing on most peoples’ minds. Nonetheless, here are some timely plant and garden related tips from the University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture:

Design and plan the spring garden space. Early planning allows time to research plants’ habits and performances. Review notes and photographs from the previous year.
On warm days, take a look at the bare bones of your garden structure. See where plants can be placed, which plants might need to be moved, and write down your thoughts and ideas for future reference when the planting season begins.
If your winter landscape is a bit dull, consider what plants you could add to make it more interesting. Plants with berries can brighten a winter landscape, and some have interesting bark, and foliage. A great accent plant is the contorted filbert, or Harry Lauder’s Walking Stick. Hollies are loaded with berries. Some sasanqua camellias are still blooming, and the Mahonia will start to bloom in a month. If you are thinking of adding to your landscape, make sure you use plants that can add interest in every season.

Continue to feed the birds! Birds will continue to nourishment.
Check your seed starting supplies and get everything on hand that you are going to need.
Avoid using salt to melt snow and ice from your walks and driveway, as it can be harmful to your plants. Several environmentally friendly products are available at home improvement stores. .

Start perennials, geraniums, snapdragons, sweet peas and pansies. Many other plants such as lobelia and verbena also need to be started indoors by the end of the month to be ready for spring.
Start ordering early from mail order sources for best seed and plant selection.
Pansies and other winter annuals are blooming well, provided you planted them early enough. We usually have periods of warmer weather throughout the winter, and when we do, consider adding a little extra fertilizer to your plants. Clip off the spent flowers to keep them blooming. Pansies and violas can freeze solid, then defrost and keep blooming.

As long as the ground is not frozen, you can continue to plant new trees and shrubs, just tuck them in with a 2- or 3-inch layer of mulch. Remember to keep the mulch away from the trunk.
In the event of winter damage to your outside shrubs, don’t be too quick to prune. Any broken limbs or branches should be removed as quickly as you can, but if you simply have burned foliage, leave it alone until spring. Hopefully, any damage will be superficial, and the plants will bounce back on their own. If not, the damaged foliage can serve as a buffer in the event of more winter weather.
In the event of wet snow, brush it off evergreens as it accumulates, or as soon as possible after the storm. Use a broom in an upward, sweeping motion. Serious damage can be caused by heavy wet snow.

Prune Grapes.
Prune Fruit trees and spray with Lime Sulphur and Dormant Oil to prevent insects and diseases.
Spray Copper Spray to prevent Peach Leaf Curl.
If you had terrible insect problems in your vegetable garden this year, particularly grubs, squash vine borers, and other soil insects, tilling your garden in the winter can help to control them. Many of these insects burrow down in the ground and spend the winter in a larval stage. Tilling can bring them closer to the surface and low temperatures can help to kill them. Don’t do this if the ground is too wet, but if the soil is workable, this can help to start the season off clean.
Keep a check on stored garden produce such as potatoes, turnips, winter squash, apples and pears for bad spots that may lead to decay. Remove them and use those with small blemishes right away. Be sure the remaining produce is spread out to allow for good airflow.