January Gardening Tips
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February Tips >>
Landscaping Tips
- This is the ideal time to plant shrubs and trees. Just make sure you do it when
the temperature and ground are above freezing. Plants gradually adapt to the deep
cold of January and February through acclimatizing to the progressive colder days.
We are seeing the early onset of bulb shoots and the expanding buds on a number
of shrubs and trees. If we get a heavy deep cold spell it will freeze the blossoms
and possibly damage the new tip growth on early spring flowers.
- Make sure you water under your roof overhangs and under large conifers that shield
surrounding plants. It is also best not to work in wet, saturated ground. If planting
or transplanting and the soil is heavy, wait a few days after a rain to allow the
ground to dry out a bit. If you are concerned about whether the area drains well
enough for planting, check by digging a 12 inch deep hole and filling it with water.
Water should drain out at the rate of at least 1 inch per hour. If the soil drains
poorly, consider constructing a raised bed.
- January is also an ideal time to shape and prune trees and shrubs when temperatures
exceed freezing. It is also a good time to mulch. Clean out those winter weeds and
garden debris. You can even apply slow-release fertilizer to landscape plants as
growth starts.
- Adjust lawn pH with lime if needed but don’t apply lime if not needed. You can get
the pH off in the base direction if you apply too often. Try not to walk on soggy
or frozen grass.
- Clean, oil and sharpen your tools.
- You can plant bare-root fruit trees as well as balled and burlapped plants but be
sure to remove the burlap wrappings and nylon string ties around the plants. The
nylon tie wrap does not deteriorate and will girdle the new plant as it grows and
possibly kill it. The burlap is treated with a copper or zinc oxide (greenish blue
color) that stops the burlap from rotting and keeps the roots in the root ball.
- Browse local nursery and seed catalogs for new vegetable and fruit possibilities.
An excellent catalog showing fruits, nuts, and berries that are tested for our northwest
climate is the Raintree Nursery catalog. Raintree Nursery is in Morton (360) 496-6400.
- Regarding pruning, do not top your trees. We continue to see these disasters in
your neighborhoods. If you must prune make sure you prune to an outgoing side branch
that is a least 1/3 the thickness of the branch you cutting.
Childern's Garden
Cut pictures of favorite vegetables and flowers from catalogs. Paste up a dream
garden book. Watch germination of stored seeds on damp paper towels. Take a walk
and look for buds swelling on shrub stems. Toward month's end, cut branches for
indoor forcing.
Native Plants
Remember to consider using natives in you home landscape additions. They are adapted
to the climate, can survive without supplemental water, are somewhat disease resistant
and there are a large variety of beautiful plants available