Winter Gardening Chores: January

Planning:

• Use garden notes, photos and sketches to assess areas that need plants
• Determine types and quantities of plants to order
• Order plants from seed and nursery catalogues

Chores and Maintenance:

• Inspect ornamental trees and shrubs for scale insects
• If a thaw occurs, apply an antidesiccant to newly planted, narrow-leaved or broad-leaved evergreens
• Check for frost heaving on perennials and cover with extra mulch if necessary
• Use wood ashes sparingly from the fireplace as a good source of potash
• Avoid the use of salt to melt snow as it is toxic to most plants; use sawdust, sand or cat litter
• Check on stored dahlia, canna and gladiolus bulbs for rotting and/or drying out
• Keep bird feeders filled throughout the winter

Pruning/ Fertilizing:

• Prune storm-damaged branches promptly; this prevents tearing of the bark
• Prune forsythia, pussy willow, quince, etc. for forcing indoors

Indoors:

• When buying houseplants in winter, be sure to wrap them up well for the trip home; this prevents the foliage from freezing and protects tropicals from drafts
• Give houseplants as much light as possible as days grow shorter
• Provide houseplants with increased humidity; mist often or place the houseplant over a tray of moist pebbles
• As houseplants grow more slowly in winter, increase the time between waterings but do not cut back on the amount of water
• On frigid nights, protect indoor plants from freezing; move them away from the glass of cover glass with thick newspaper or cardboard
• Clean leaves of large and smooth-leaved houseplants like draceaena, philodendron, ficus etc.
• Inspect houseplants for insect pests; remove by hand and spray with insecticidal soap if needed
• Clean clay pots by soaking overnight in a solution of 1 gallon water, 1 cup of vinegar and 1 cup bleach

*These gardening tips are applicable for an average year in the southeastern New York region: USDA Plant Hardiness Zones 7a and 7b, which include New York City, Northern New Jersey, most of Rockland and Westchester Counties, Southern Connecticut, and parts of Long Island. Plant hardiness zones refer to geographic areas where the growing season of plants is determined by the time of killing frosts in the spring and fall. Even within zones, climatic factors such as altitude, proximity to water, wind exposure, winter sun exposure and snow cover contribute to the existence of different "microclimates" and can influence plant adaptability.