By Gary Crispell, NC State Extension Master GardenerSM volunteer of Durham County
Hey! It’s January, and not just any old January. It is the beginning of the end of the first quarter of the 21st centur. (Look, any excuse for a party, right?). December has come and gone (along with 2024). It only got almost really cold, we had a little rain, and we had some really pleasant days. I’ll take it. Now it is a new month, new year and new garden. Is there a garden in existence that can’t stand some degree of change? I think not. That’s one of the beautiful, wonderful, and frustrating things about gardens. They are never complete or even just right. So, what’s gonna be new in your garden in 2025? Regardless, here are a few (very few, it is January after all) things you can do in the “old” garden should the month deliver a “balmy” day or two.
Lawn Care
If you haven’t already cleared the lawn of leaves, exactly what are you waiting for? There won’t be anymore leaves falling until the oaks shed their bottom leaves in the spring. Just do it, already. Take a really good look at the grass area of your yard and see if there is a possibility of eliminating some (all?) of the grass. Less lawn equals less expense and greater sustainability. Think about it. It’s your planet, too.
Fertilizer
Nope. Nothing to see here folks.
Planting
Maybe some asparagus crowns, but that’s about it for January. I take that back. I successfully transplanted trees from the nursery in January. Just remember if it turns dry, they need water even if they don’t have any foliage.
Asparagus can grown from one-year-old roots, called crowns. Crowns grow vertically and horizontally. This is an example of ‘Purple Passion’ asparagus crowns. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension (osiristhe CC BY-ND-2.0)
Pruning
This is it. Your best reason to go play in the yard in January. Trees and shrubs especially are less traumatized by January pruning. The wounds heal faster from January infliction than in other months. Also, unless you have an actual hedge, please resist the temptation to use the hedge trimmer. Shearing is best left to the English, French or Japanese formal gardens. Hand pruning individual branches will produce healthier and more esthetically pleasing plants.
Spraying
So, the plants you brought in off the deck for the winter had “friends” on them and now they are somewhat bothersome? It happens. If possible, take them back out on a nice day and spray them with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Let them dry then bring them back inside. If you have to spray them inside just be careful. Wipe up any overspray. ALWAYS READ THE LABEL. If you have azaleas planted in a sunny location, you probably have azalea lace bugs. They will be actively feeding whenever it is above 40 degrees. Spray them with a horticultural oil and be done with them (at least until hot weather).
Lace bugs congregate on the undersides of azalea and rhododendron leaves. They suck out the sap, robbing the plant of nutrients and causing the leaves to turn speckled grey-brown or silvery. The nymphs excrete honeydew, a sugary liquid on which sooty mold develops. If this coating becomes dense it decreases photosynthesis, further reducing the plant’s health. (Image credit: NC Cooperative Extension, JR Baker)
What to do when January is too inhospitable to play outside?
Three words: seed catalogs, Google. Think about places in the garden where you might experiment with plants you haven’t tried before. Research the plant’s appropriateness for the space. “Right Plant Right Place” isn’t just a catchy phrase. Especially think about natives. Is the sunniest part of your yard right out front? Stick some tomatoes in with the petunias and marigolds, or put peppers in the perennial bed. It’ll give the neighbors something to talk about until you start sharing the tomatoes. If you have an HOA, my condolences.
Stay warm, y’all. March is closer than you imagine.
Additional Reading and Resources
Learn the best way to sharpen your shears before you prune.
Interested in starting an asparagus bed?
Leaving the garden a little untidy in the winter can provide an important food source for birds.
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