January Garden Jobs: Seeds, Pruning and Planning by Zone

Jobs nearly every source lists

• Plan the year. Clemson asks which vegetables you ate most and which pests you fought; Mississippi State asks what worked and what did not; Oregon State says keep a garden journal and consult it in winter. How to plan next year’s vegetable garden.
• Inventory, test and order seeds. Minnesota says list the seeds you have — kind, age and quantity — and your seed-starting supplies before you order, and test old seed with a ragdoll germination test. Clemson says throw out seed that was not stored properly. Mississippi State says order seeds for the rest of the year.
• Get a soil test. Clemson says January is a great time to submit a sample; Oregon State says order one to learn your garden’s nutrient needs.
• Clean and sharpen tools. Clemson, Mississippi State and Oregon State all list it; Oregon State cleans pruners with rubbing alcohol, and Clemson paints or tapes handles a bright color so they are easy to find.

The North: Minnesota

University of Minnesota Extension (zones 3a–5a).

• Check cages and wraps around trees and shrubs: fencing at least 2 feet above the snow line, cages flush with the ground (landscape staples hold the bottom down), and wraps still covering the plant. How to protect shrubs from winter damage.
• Look at the yard for winter interest and note where plants or structures would add it.
• Add a humidifier for moisture-loving houseplants, and water as needed: dry air dries the soil and the plants lose more water through their leaves. Houseplant care in winter.
• Review deicing. Lawn beside sidewalks and drives can die from salt; where you cannot use less, the fine fescues and tall fescue are the most salt-tolerant grasses.
• Dispose of the holiday tree with every light, tinsel strand and ornament removed. What to do with your Christmas tree after Christmas.

The Pacific Northwest: Oregon

Oregon State University Extension Service (zones 5b–9b).

• Central and eastern Oregon: water plants deeply every six to eight weeks when temperatures are above freezing, to prevent winter drying.
• Western Oregon: water plants under wide eaves and in other spots rain does not reach, and stay off frosted lawns.
• Set windbreaks for sensitive evergreens, and put back mulch that blew or washed away.
• Mid-January: spray peach trees against peach leaf curl and shothole, or plant curl-resistant cultivars such as ‘Frost’, ‘Q1-8’ or ‘Creswell’.
• Houseplants: clean dust from the leaves, keep weeping figs out of cold drafts, and in western Oregon cut quince, forsythia and flowering cherry branches to force indoors.

The Southeast: South Carolina and Mississippi

Clemson Cooperative Extension (zones 8a–9b) and Mississippi State University Extension (zones 7b–9a).

• Start broccoli and cabbage indoors now to transplant in early March (Clemson), and plant sweet peas, poppies and larkspur (Mississippi State).
• Plant trees and shrubs. Clemson says the ground does not freeze in the Midlands, so new plantings have time to establish before summer; Mississippi State says set out new trees and shrubs, and fertilize them any time from January to March.
• Mulch: Clemson adds a 2-inch layer of wood, leaf or straw mulch where beds need it, and a light layer of shredded leaves or pine straw over bulbs.
• Prune lightly. Clemson says focus winter pruning on dead, diseased and broken wood, and do heavier pruning in late winter or early spring. How to prune crape myrtles.
• Protect tender plants in extreme cold: bring indoor plants in or add mulch over new plantings (Mississippi State).
• Tidy up: Mississippi State says pick up fallen fruit, clear leaves out of beds and remove dead or broken limbs, which helps prevent disease; keep bird feeders stocked.

Florida

UF/IFAS Extension’s north, central and south Florida gardening calendars.

• North and central Florida: plant Irish potatoes from healthy seed pieces and keep planting cool-season crops such as broccoli, kale, carrots and lettuce (central Florida adds English peas). Plant deciduous fruit trees now so roots develop before the dry spring, and select camellias while they are in bloom.
• South Florida: January is the last month to plant Irish potatoes, beets, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, mustard and turnips.
• Cold: frost or freezes are likely this month and next in north and central Florida, and the central Florida calendar says covers should reach all the way to the ground. In south Florida, water and cover sensitive plants 12 to 24 hours before a freeze and bring orchids inside. How to protect plants from frost.
• Crapemyrtles: remove seed pods, crossing branches and twiggy growth if you want to; UF/IFAS says hard pruning is not required.
• Scale insects: horticultural oil on citrus, shrubs, camellias and deciduous fruit trees while they are dormant.

Texas and California

We found no January calendar from Texas or California that we could read. Texas A&M AgriLife’s December advice reaches into January: late December through February is usually the best time to prune woody plants, trees and shrubs can be planted through February, and rose beds can be prepared for planting in January and February. See December garden jobs by zone.

Common mistakes

• Ordering before taking stock. Minnesota says inventory your seeds and supplies first.
• Sowing old seed without testing it. A ragdoll test shows whether it will come up (Minnesota).
• Heavy pruning in midwinter. Clemson leaves heavier cuts for late winter or early spring.
• Covers that stop short of the ground. UF/IFAS says they should extend all the way down.
• Leaving drip trays full. Clemson says empty trays that hold too much water; overwatering brings houseplant pests.