Busy time for gardeners
I’m married to one of the few men in America who hates football.
So while others have been watching bowl games and playoffs, the
folks at my house have been getting our yard in shape for the
coming garden season.
Busy time for gardeners
I’m married to one of the few men in America who hates football. So while others have been watching bowl games and playoffs, the folks at my house have been getting our yard in shape for the coming garden season.
The things that are done in January determine the health and wealth of the garden for the rest of the year. This is the time to prune, plant, dig and renew. For starters:
Pruning: Deciduous trees and shrubs, along with roses, are at the depth of dormancy in January, a time to do serious pruning. Get out pole pruners, loppers, a hand saw and pruning shears. Make sure you are using sharp tools that make clean, thorough cuts.
Prune deciduous fruit and nut trees. The best guideline for dormant pruning: remove crossed or crowded branches, open the center for good light exposure and air flow, repair structural weaknesses such as limbs growing too close together, and remove the vertical-growing branches known as watersprouts. Don’t over-prune in one year.
Prune roses to remove old wood and bring on the spring flowers. Pick off any lingering flower buds and all the old leaves, then prune heavily to remove old wood and crossed branches. Prune in the “vase” shape by opening up the center of the bush to encourage light and air flow.
Clean up underneath each bush and apply fresh mulch, but hold off applying fertilizer until the bush begins to bud out some time around mid-February.
Also prune grape vines, berry bushes, and deciduous shrubs.
Plant: January is also bare-root season, the time to plant new roses, deciduous fruit and nut trees, grape and berry vines and certain shrubs such as lilacs. Also plant bare-root artichokes, strawberries, asparagus and horseradish.
Flowers: Transplants of many annual and perennial flowers can be planted now, including Iceland poppies, pansies, primrose and primulas. Look for flowering plants in six-packs and four-inch pots.
The soil is cold and damp, but, surprise, that is just the kind of weather certain seeds like. Some wildflowers and sweet peas prefer the chill.
Spray: Some people apply a dormant spray, others prefer to go “natural” and ignore spraying. If your garden was infested with whitefly, aphids and spidermites the past year, consider spraying to knock out these overwintering pests. Look for a product that says Dormant Spray and follow the directions exactly. Don’t think if a little is good, then a lot should be better. Use the recommended amount. Buy the smallest container offered for sale as these sprays have a short shelf life. If you have some left over, share it with a neighbor. If you had whitefly or aphids, chances are your neighbor did, too.
Spray on a clear day, usually in the morning before the wind comes up. If it rains within two days of spraying, you will need to do it again, so watch the weather reports.
Details: Clean up the garden, rake leaves for the compost pile, and pull weeds before they get out of hand. Check your rain gutters and remove leaves that clog the gutters.
Hold off on pruning away frost damage from bougainvillea and other frost-sensitive plants. There is very likely more frost ahead. Wait until spring growth begins so that you can see exactly where the damage has occurred. Then cut into healthy wood about 2 inches beyond the frost damage.
After you’ve done all these things, it’s OK to go inside and watch more football.
