05 January 2011

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).

4 comments:

Debbie Taillieu said...

Boy, you're going to be busy this month!
Happy New Year!

Catherine@AGardenerinProgress said...

What a great list! Lots of great reminders on there. I need to get a list started too. I like the idea of "planting" the cut tree, I'll remember that idea for next year since ours was picked up today already.

Karen said...

I love your list! I wish I had kept more geraniums over winter, but I do have three I can make cuttings from. The seed catalogs are fascinating again this year, with many new seeds I want to try. I was tempted to pick up a few more Christmas trees and 'plant' them in the snow as a way to test out how new trees would look if they were planted for real in an area we haven't developed yet.

Rambling Woods said...

great suggestion for the Christmas tree...I wish more people would do that...

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