JANUARY IS A GOOD MONTH TO SIT BACK, RELAX, AND PLAN YOUR GARDEN STRATEGY FOR THE UPCOMING SPRING SEASON
Let’s talk about December before we get into talking about January. Our daily temperatures hovered around normal. We did get a great soaking rain on the 15th of December—I live in Midlothian and we got over 3 inches of rain. I did a soil temperature test on the 20th and our soil temperature is right at 40 degrees. So, the combination of soaking rain and the soil temperature still leads to a good time to plant. Yes, we did more soaking rain the following week and then our temperatures dropped giving us one of our coldest Christmas Day ever. But, we then warmed up to more normal temperatures again. So, if any of you were given plants as a gift or you used a living tree for Christmas then I suggest go ahead and plant.
I am posting this blog on January 12th. Spring will be officially here on Monday, March 20. That is only 68 days away.
Did you know that January is NATIONAL GARDEN CATALOGUE MONTH? And, for good reason! This is a great time of year to stroll through the garden magazines and learn about new plants, new gardening tools, or new gardening trends.
When we have some warm sunny days in January then let’s take advantage of the comfort and get outside and walk around your gardens and yard. Besides getting fresh air and some exercise, this is a good time to examine the plants and think about what you may want to do come spring.
Here is a thought—think about doing some soil testing on your different gardens—especially your vegetable garden. Get to know your soil. See what you may need to add to the soil to get it ready for spring planting.
Now is a good time to clean up your garden tools and get them sharpened and ready. If they need sharpening then come see our farmers market on Thursday because we have a knife and tool sharpener here and he does a great job.
If we should get any significant snow fall, use a broom to brush off the snow from the shrubs, such as boxwood and hollies. Too much weight from the snow could cause some damage to limbs if left to accumulate.
Our 2023 flower and vegetable seeds are here. Don’t forget about our native birds. They can use our help this time of year with both food and water.
HAPPY GARDENING IN 2023