January To Do List

January

• Pot up geranium cuttings in perlite or soil-less mixture and place close under artificial light; keep evenly moist.
• Check, regularly, stored tubers and corms, such as gladiola, for dryness.  Mist if necessary.
• Clean houseplant foliage regularly with a soft damp cloth; plants with fuzzy leaves can be cleaned with an old clean toothbrush.
• Buy a horticultural society membership for you or a fellow gardening enthusiast. 
• Study the bones of your garden.  Does your garden have good form and balance?
• Do the trees and shrubs in your landscape look good in winter, or attract birds with their berries or seeds?
• Make plans for next year’s garden projects.
• Send for seed and plant catalogues, if you haven't already done so.  Begin compiling your orders.
• Now is a great time to read those gardening books and magazines you don’t have time for in summer.
• Visit garden centres and conservatories to lighten your mood.
• Keep bird feeders clean and filled.
• Shovel snow onto garden beds and pile against basement walls.
• Apply sand, small amounts of fertilizer, or commercial compounds that are compatible with plants to pathways.
• Plant your cut Christmas tree in the snow for winter interest and shelter for birds.  Use some branches to cover evergreen and tender perennials and plants.
• Remove snow build up on roof tops to prevent damage to eavestroughs and roof. 
• By the end of January, begin pruning  (but not birch, maple, or shrubs that flower on last year’s growth).