January Landscape Garden Tips
Select a tip for the month of January below:
Tip #1: January is a good time to transplant shrubs or trees that you would like to relocate in the landscape.
Tip #2: Heavy pruning of certain shrubs and trees can be done at this time.
Tip #3: Prepare vegetable gardens for the upcoming Spring.
Tip #4: Collect fallen leaves and add to compost pile or bin.
Tip #5: safely plant shrubs and trees.
Tip #1: Transplant shrubs or trees that you would like to relocate in the landscape.
If there are some shrubs or small trees that you would like to transplant/relocate in the landscape, the winter dormant season is a good time to do so. How do we know plants have gone dormant? When all the leaves have fallen from the trees we know the dormant season is here. Even in the Deep South all ornamental shrubs and trees have gone into dormancy. SEE: How to Relocate and Transplant an Established Shrub or Tree
Note: Some plants, such as established conifers and junipers, simply do not respond well to relocation.
Tip #2: Heavy pruning of certain shrubs and trees can be done at this time.
SEE: Pruning Instructions
Caution: Do Not prune Spring flowering shrubs or trees such as Azaleas and Forsythias (Yellow Bells) until later on in the Spring after they have finished blooming.
Caution: Do Not prune Lantanas until new growth begins to emerge later on in Spring.
Tip #3: Prepare vegetable gardens for the upcoming Spring.
January is a good time to prepare your vegetable garden soil for the upcoming Spring planting season. If you do not make your own compost, most local nursery and garden centers carry products such as mushroom compost or composted cow manure that are good to replenish your garden soil with the rich organic matter necessary to successfully grow healthy vegetables.
SEE:
SEE ALSO: Organic Vegetable Gardening
Tip #4: Collect fallen leaves and add to compost pile or bin.
Veteran gardeners swear by compost. It's unrivaled for adding readily available nutrients and beneficial bacteria to vegetable garden soil, or adding to the mix when planting shrubs, trees, perennials, annuals, and container plantings, promoting healthy and vigorous growth of plants. Plus, compost is an environmentally smart way to turn houslehold food waste and vegetative landscape and garden waste into something besides a bulge in your garbage bag. Making your own compost is very easy - nothing more than piling up leaves, clippings, kitchen scraps and other materials into a heap, and waiting for it to ferment. SEE: How to Make Your Own Compost
Tip #5:Plant shrubs and trees.
Contrary to popular belief, January, and in fact the entire winter season, is a great time to plant most ornamental shrubs,trees, or groundcovers. Winter planting of most dormant shrubs and trees allows them acclimate to their new environment before receiving the huge benefit from an early root flush when soil temperatures begin to warm up in Spring. There is absoulutely no danger at all from planting most shrubs and trees in December. Our landscapers successfully plant through the entire winter!
Choose from a month below to view gardening tips and reminders: