Landscape Committee
Gardening Tips - January

Water

• Turf, shrubs, trees and perennials all need water. Plants on the south side of a building or a south-facing slope will dry out first.
• If snow is not present, water once a month. Mark your new calendar each month as your watering day. Apply water early in the day to allow the roots to absorb the moisture.
• Disconnect your hose and drain to prevent freeze damage.

Vegetables

• Garden catalogs are arriving and it's a great time to plan you new garden.
• Consider what worked for your garden last year and what didn't.
• Look at new and heirloom varieties.
• Crop rotation is important. Rotate plants of the same family (like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant) over five years with each family moving to a new location over that time.

Indoors

• Fungus gnats (small flies) commonly appear in winter around windows and potted plants. Apply Bacillus Thuringiensis (BT), a naturally occurring bacteria that causes diseases in many different insects. The BT strain 'Israelensis' will control fungus gnats.
• Place a hyacinth bulb in your bulb vase to force bloom. It will bloom within the month in plain water.

Landscaping

• Take a winter walk throughout your neighborhood. Look for plants that lend texture and color to this fourth season of gardening. Consider adding one of these plants to your landscape next spring.
• Apply mulch to prevent frost heave. Recycle Christmas trees by lopping off whole branches and "weaving" them over perennials. The "weaving" prevents the branches from blowing away.