January Garden Checklist
Annuals: Keep hay handy to protect your annual plantings on cold nights. When frost is expected, distribute the hay over the tops of the plantings. Pull the hay back once the cold days and nights are over. Annuals to plant now include carnations, pansies, petunias, snapdragons, delphiniums, larkspur, dianthus, and foxgloves.
Bulbs: Be ready to move container-grown and less hardy bulbs inside. Most others like ginger and amaryllis may have their foliage damaged during severe cold, but they can be left in the ground and be expected to survive. Remove any bulbs that appear to be diseased. Tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils can be planted now if you refrigerated them for 8 weeks to meet their chilling requirements.
Herbs: Anise, basil, bay laurel, borage, caraway, cardamom,chervil, chives, coriander, dill, fennel, ginger, horehound, lemon balm, lavender, lovage, marjoram, mexican tarragon, mint, nasturtium, oregano, rosemary, sage, savory, thyme and watercress can be planted now.
Lawns: This is the fertilize free month! Check the soil to determine watering needs. When the grass blades fold it’s time to water. As a rule, water once every 10-14 days in the winter. If you need to mow the lawn remember to keep your mower height at the highest level.
Trees and Shrubs: Most trees can have dead limbs removed, suckers trimmed off, old seedpods removed, lanky growths trimmed, and crisscrossing limbs controlled anytime of year. Don’t perform major pruning on any tree this month, especially flowering trees such as dogwoods, redbuds, azaleas, spirea and fringe trees that produce their blooms during the spring months. Water when surface soil is dry to the touch, make sure you have 2-3 inches of mulch around the roots, and water during the morning hours only. Outdoor plants require less water in the winter months. Begin transplanting plants in the landscape. Keep them out of the ground as short a time as possible. Water makes the difference between success and failure. Keep the plant moist but not soaking wet. Use dormant oil spray on dormant fruit trees and woody ornamentals that are having scale problems.Roses can be pruned in late January. Remove leaves on the ground and strip leaves from plant to reduce disease problems. If a hard freeze is predicted, water lawn and ornamental plants 24-48 hours before the freeze to improve cold protection. Harvest ripe citrus if temperatures will drop below 28 degrees for four or more hours.
Vegetables: English peas, beets, broccoli, potatoes, cabbage, celery, carrots, bunching onions, radishes, turnips, and cauliflower can be planted this month in North Florida.It is always best to have your soil tested prior to to determine what nutrients may be required for a successful crop.Plant seeds indoors or in a greenhouse for March plantings of peppers and tomatoes.
