January
Gardening Tasks
in the Piedmont 

by Kathy Bretz

Feeding the birds improves the view and helps them weather the season. Keep fresh water de-iced in bird baths by throwing in a tennis ball to keep it ice free.

Perennials, Annuals & Bulbs

• Don’t forget to water!  Winter drought can be just as severe as in the summer.  If the ground freezes, any moisture available is inaccessible to roots. 
  
• Check outdoor perennials and bulbs to make sure none have been pushed out of the ground by freezing/thawing weather; push them back underground and replace the mulch.
• For camellias, be sure to rake up fallen blooms to discourage camellia petal blight.
• Seeds of larkspur, bachelor buttons and poppies can be sown in the ground now.  You can also start seeds indoors for coleus, alyssum, impatiens, verbena, geranium and petunia.
• This is a great time to attack unwanted brush and vines.  You can actually see what you're doing and mosquitoes and ticks are off duty. 
  

 Lawn & Landscaping

• To decrease lawn maintenance, eliminate hard to mow spaces like sharp angles of bed borders.  Combine single trees or shrubs into a large planting connected by groundcovers. 
  
• Avoid heavy traffic on dormant lawns—dry grass is easily broken and the crown of the plant may be severely damaged or killed. 
  

Trees, Shrubs & Groundcovers

• It’s time to prune fruit trees and woody ornamentals that bloom on current season growth such as althea, buddleia, crepe myrtle, hydrangea and vitex.  Save the spring-bloomers until just after they've bloomed, and remember to follow proper pruning techniques.
  
• Remove any dead, diseased or storm-damaged limbs.
• During periods of extreme cold, protect broadleaf evergreens with blankets or burlap (never plastic).  Fertilize them in winter or early spring before growth begins. 
• Borderline hardy plants like aucuba, camellia and gardenia can be protected by a mound of soil or compost over the crown if the ground surface freezes. 
• Remember when choosing the location of new shrubs or trees, spots which are sunny in the garden now may be shady in the spring or summer. 

Indoor Gardening

• Turn and prune houseplants regularly to keep them shapely. 
  
• Avoid over-watering; wait until the soil surface is dry. 
• Most houses are very dry in the winter.  To increase humidity around plants, place them on shallow trays lined with pebbles and filled with water. 
• Keep winter fertilizing to a minimum as plant growth has considerably slowed. 

 Miscellaneous

• Feed the birds regularly: they like suet, fruit, nuts, and bread crumbs as well as bird seed.
  
• Keep the birdbath free of ice and continue adding fresh water every week.
• If deer nibbling is a problem in your landscape, try different deterrents to see what works best: fencing, plastic netting, repellents, sprays, hot sauce, egg whites, human hair, lion or tiger manure, even rock music! 
• Toss rubber balls into the water garden to prevent icing over.  KB 

Author - Kathy Bretz

Kathy Bretz, EMGV

Kathy Bretz is an Extension Master Gardener Volunteer with Mecklenburg County, NC.  An active EMG since 2003, Kathy loves to design, using color; she especially loves annuals, perennial, shrubs and junipers.  

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 Extension Master Gardener℠  Volunteers of Mecklenburg County
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