January Garden Chores

January is all about planning what you want to grow this year. Contact seed companies to receive the new catalog or look at your favorite online sites. It is good to start ordering or purchasing seeds as many seed companies will sell out fast.

If you haven’t had your soil tested in the last 3-5 years, stop by the VCE offices to pick up the soil test kit.

If we get a heavy snow, knock it off of your small trees and shrubs so they don’t break under the weight.

Also, don’t forget our feathered friends. Put out birdseed and water for them.

Flower Beds, Trees and Shrubs

  • Deadhead flowers to encourage new blooms.
  • Prune broken tree and shrub branches that have been damaged by snow or ice.
  • Plant dormant fruit trees.
  • To control scale on fruit trees, apply horticultural oil while plants are dormant.
  • You can apply dormant oil spray to deciduous fruit trees. Prune dormant fruit trees if needed.

Lawn

Kitchen Garden

  • If you are planning to grow crops from seed, calculate the number of weeks required for indoor germination to determine when seedlings will be ready for transplanting.
  • This is a great time to think through your garden layout; companion plantings, water-wise irrigation strategies

House plants

  • Give your houseplants a good cleaning to clear away dust that can clogs the plants “pores” (stoma). Plant leaves can be cleaned with a damp sponge or rag, or small plants can be dipped into a pan or bucket of room temperature water.
  • Check your house plants for insect infestations, especially if you received plants as a holiday gift;

If you see any ‘free loaders’, use insecticidal soap or neem oil as per package instructions.

Other tips

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