Dorothy, we aren't in Texas anymore. January finds me in Colorado, a very chilly winter wonderland.
Travel Notes: Though we're here to talk about gardening in Zone 8, travel along with me by photo all the way up in Zones 4 & 5-- beautiful, frigid and frozen Colorado. By the time this is published, I'll be back in Texas, and above freezing, at least during the day.
Though it's January-dreary and cold, cold, cold in most of the country, Spring, for many of us, is really just around the corner as far as gardening goes. Just as you get the last boxes of holiday decorations stashed away, it's time to prepare for the gardening year, ahead.
We can expect peas and asparagus early, and those spring greens for which we'll clamor in a few months, need to be in the ground as early as this month or next.
Today, we'll take a look at the next few weeks of what and when to plant in Zone 8. For information on planting dates for your particular region, consult this chart to determine the zone in which your garden grows, and then adjust the following to-dos accordingly.
Wherever you find yourself in the gardening calendar, it's time to get ready for a new growing season. Create a garden plan to help organize chores and planting schedules. Sharpen, oil, perform preventative maintenance on garden tools. Pull out pencil and paper and start mapping out what will go where, considering companion planting, sun and wind exposure, and weather forecasts. In January, the year's garden is a tabula rasa, a blank slate, much like the Colorado landscapes I'm enjoying as I type-- blankets of pristine and untouched snow, and a little planning now will go a long way in creating an abundant harvest in the months to come.
The beginning is the most important part of the work.--Plato. And Mom.
In the Garden: January
Fertilize Fertilize asparagus, strawberries, daylilies, iris, pansies and roses. Use compost, manure or a complete fertilizer.
Water Water everything well before a freeze, but avoid overwatering.
Transplant Plant bare root and container grown roses, shrubs, trees, groundcovers and vines. Move hardy seedlings outdoors. Divide and transplant perennial herbs and summer and fall blooming perennial flowers.
Prepare Soil Add compost and/or fertilizer. Till deeply. Test soil (forms available at the Extension Office). Check winter mulch and replenish, if needed. Stockpile leaves for mulch and composting throughout spring and summer.
Lawn Care If lawn has a history of brown patch problems, treat with a labeled fungicide late in the month. Repeat treatment in 3 to 4 weeks, if needed.
Diseases/Pests to look for Check for mealy bugs and for scale on houseplants. Need a plant problem identified? Bring a sample in a ziplock bag to the a County Extension Office near you.
Wolf Creek Pass, Colorado
Things To Plant In January
Flower Plants Alyssum, Butterfly Weed, Calendula, Candytuft, Cornflower, Dianthus, Daisy (African, Michaelmas and Painted), Gaillardia, Liatris, Edging Lobelia, Nasturtium, Ornamental Cabbage and Kale, Pansy, Phlox paniculata, Snapdragon, Stock.
Flower seeds Ageratum, Alyssum, Balsam, Bluebell, Calendula, Candytuft, Cleome, Coreopsis, Cornflower, Delphinium, Echinacea, Feverfew, Gaillardia, Gayfeather, Gerbera, Hollyhock, Hyacinth, Larkspur, Lobelia, Lupine, Nasturtium, Phlox, Poppy, Queen Anne’s Lace, Petunia, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea, Sweet William.
Bulbs Allium, Alstroemeria, Amarcrinum, Canna, Crinum, Dahlia, Daylily, Gladiolus, Hosta, Hyacinth, Spider Lily (Hymerocallis), Liriope, Monkey Grass, Rain lily, Society Garlic, Tigridia, Tulip
Vegetables Start tomato, pepper and eggplant seedlings indoor under fluorescent lights. Early—Mid Month: asparagus crowns
Mid—Late Month: Broccoli, Cabbage, Carrots, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi, Lettuce, Onion sets, Peas, Spinach
Herbs Garlic chives, Horseradish, Parsley, Chervil
Fruit Bare root or container grown pecans, fruit trees, grapes, berry bushes
Beautiful Boulder, Colorado,
Bundle up, friends!