Plant vegetable seeds: Swiss Chard and other Greens, Lettuce, Shallot, Spinach. LATE JANUARY: Beet, Carrot, Pea, Parsnip.

Plant vegetable plants: Artichoke crowns, Asparagus crowns, Lettuce, Spinach. LATE JANUARY: Broccoli, Cabbage, Cauliflower, Collards, Kale, Kohlrabi, Leeks, Onion Sets.

Plant herbs: Chervil, Chives, Cilantro, Oregano, Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Thyme.

Plant annual flower/ornamental seeds: Ageratum, Alyssum, Bluebell, Calendula, Candytuft, Cleome, Centaurea, Delphinium, Gerbera, Hollyhock, Larkspur, Lobelia, Drummond’s Phlox, Snapdragon, Sweet Pea, Viola (Johnny Jump-Up).

Plant annual flower/ornamental plants: Sweet Alyssum, Bluebonnet plants, Ornamental Cabbage and Kale, Calendula, Centaurea, Dianthus, Larkspur, Lobelia, Pansy, Snapdragon, Stock, Viola (Johnny Jump-Up).

Plant perennial plants. Give newly planted plants some Tender Loving Care before a freeze: water and add mulch, and cover more tender varieties with a sheet or row cover.

Plant a tree for peace in the new year!

Plant hardy shrubs, vines, and ground covers.

Plant strawberries.

Plant bare root (or containerized) fruit and pecan trees, berries, and grapes. Talk to our staff, and pick up our handout, “Planting & Maintenance Guide for Fruits, Nuts, and Berries.” The soil should be prepared first, and it is important to choose the right varieties for your specific area.

Water new plantings with seaweed or a seaweed/fish emulsion every couple of weeks to help them get established.

Water! See November To-Do list for more infor
mation about winter watering.

Start tomato seeds indoors. If you have a heated greenhouse, a cold frame, or supplemental plant lighting indoors, you can get a head start on starting tomatoes from seed. Normal interior lighting is not enough. A very sunny, south-facing window can work, only if you rotate the seedlings daily so they don’t reach for the window. If you choose to use supplemental lighting, place the florescent or grow lights no more than one or two inches above the seedlings, and raise the lights as the seedlings grow.

A combination of florescent and tungsten (incandescent) lights are said to be close to full-spectrum lighting, or use full-spectrum bulbs or grow lights.

Apply corn gluten as a pre-emergent weed killer in late January: At all costs, avoid the chemical pre-emergent herbicides. They are among the most toxic substances you can buy‚ for you, your children, your pets, your neighbors, and our drinking water! Corn gluten is a natural pre-emergent weed killer which should be broadcast at a rate of 20 pounds per 1000 square feet. A drop spreader works best. Corn gluten provides 9% nitrogen, too! The suppression of seed sprouting lasts about six weeks. Remember also that using exclusively organic fertilizers and enhancing the overall health of your soil can prevent and/or eliminate most weed problems. This is a long-term solution to weeds and many other lawn problems.

Clean, oil, and repair tools. Scrape off any rust or debris, using steel wool or a wire brush, if necessary. Oil the metal parts with honing oil, WD-40, or clean motor oil. The wooden handle can be oiled with mineral or linseed oil. Some brands of tools, like Felco pruners, have replacement parts available if yours have been lost or worn out. Take the time to sharpen your blades, too. Take the lawnmower or other machinery to the shop for repairs and sharpening.

Set up or repair your drip irrigation system.
Water beds, trees, and shrubs, as needed. If we haven’t received at least a one-inch rainfall in four to six weeks, established trees and shrubs will need a deep soaking. Plantings less than two years in the ground will need watering more often, depending on your soil. Test the soil with your finger to determine water needs.

Fertilize asparagus, strawberries, and cool-season annuals such as pansies. Use a bloom-promoting organic fertilizer, such as Lady Bug brand Flower Power, on strawberries and flowering plants. Use Lady Bug 8-2-4 or Garden Pep Cottonseed Meal for asparagus and other green produce. Topdress with good compost at the same time, such as Lady Bug Revitalizer, Farm Style, or All-American Turkey. You could use Sylvan Formula mulch instead, which contains mulch and compost with minerals, corn meal, and molasses. For a quick boost, water any plant with a solution of John’s Recipe. Plants and the soil love it!

Spray fruit trees (or other susceptible plants) with dormant oil. Dormant oil controls scale and other insects. Fruit trees (or any deciduous plant with a current infestation of scale) should be sprayed two or more times with dormant oil over the winter. If you have used copper as a fungicide, be sure to wait at least ten days before spraying dormant oil. Mixing the two can cause burning on the plant.
Last chance to prune grapes, fruit trees, or other plants for the dormant season.

Things warm up and buds begin to break in February, so plan your pruning in early January at the latest. The danger of pruning grapes too late is that the sap is running and the vine will “bleed” too much. Research proper current pruning techniques for your specific fruit before starting the project.

Here are some websites:

www.tree-pruning.com
“Pruning Trees: A Step-by-Step Guide” This site contains a good diagram of the branch bark ridge and the branch collar – tree anatomy you must know to prune a tree properly. It does not have specific information on pruning fruit trees, however.

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/ag29.html “Training and Pruning Fruit Trees” from North Carolina State University. Their varietal recommendations do not apply to Texas growing. In addition, substitute organic fertilizer and pesticide wherever they recommend chemicals.

http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/extension/fruit/piercegrapes/pdr.html
“Growing Pierce’s Disease Resistant Grapes in Central, South and East Texas” from Texas A&M University. Substitute organic fertilizer and pesticide wherever they recommend chemicals.

Thanks to the Travis County Master Gardener Association’s Garden Guide for Austin and Vicinity and the staff of the Natural Gardener for some of this month’s tips.

Tags: Outdoors, Yard