January is traditionally one of the coldest winter months. But even in the middle of winter there are tasks that need to be done outdoors. In the article we explain what gardening work needs to be done in January and what are particularly favorable dates for it according to the lunar calendar.
Gardening in January: flowers and flowering trees in the ornamental garden
There is a lot to do in the ornamental garden, even when temperatures are low. For flowers, flowering trees and other flowering plants, as well as herbs: The right time for winter care is January 16th and 17th and then January 23rd - 25th. The following garden work is pending:
- Remove fallen leaves and weeds from the flower bed.
- Sow cold germs such as Christmas rose, peony, cowslip, cyclamen or monkshood.
- Also the right time to clean flower pots and prepare the greenhouse for spring.
- Check the tubers of dahlias and begonias stored in the greenhouse for mold
- Some flowering trees tend to multiply heavily through runners in the winter months. To prevent this, you should remove the runners in January.
- Plant roses, ornamental shrubs and hedges, as well as ornamental trees (as long as the ground is not frozen).
- Buy and plant flowering snowdrops.
- Rejuvenate forsythia with nourishing pruning.
- Remove the pansy flowers.
- Aerate the lawn and incorporate humus if necessary. The appropriate time for this is January 6th and 7th.
- Remove weeds on January 12th and 20th.
A lot of gardening work also needs to be done in the kitchen garden in January. Woody plants may only be cut between January and March. The garden soil needs to be improved or loosened. Many types of vegetables are grown on the windowsill or sown outdoors in January.
- Dig up, coax and aerate the vegetable patch. If necessary, throughImprove green manure. The right time according to the lunar calendar is between January 21st and 23rd.
- Chop up the Christmas tree and use it as mulch. The most favorable time is January 1st and 2nd.
Properly care for fruit trees in winter
Fruit-bearing trees and other fruit plants also need regular care. The cheapest periods are between January 9th and 12th and then January 28th and 29th. The following garden work is pending:
- Give stone fruits such as apples, pears or quinces a nourishing cut. It's best to do this between January 19th and 21st, or at the end of the month (if the weather permits, of course). The fruit trees are cut in a pyramid shape. Above all, old branches that are already bearing little or no fruit, as well as dead wood, are removed.
- Currants and gooseberries are propagated in January. For this purpose, cut off the canes and put them in pots with potting soil with a high sand content.
- Protect the peach trees from frost with fleece.
- Care for the strawberries – cut off old and diseased parts of the plant. If the root balls are pushed up and visible, push them down again and cover with soil.
Vegetables in January: Necessary gardening work according to the lunar calendar
The same periods apply to most vegetables as to fruit plants. However, you can also eat vegetables on the 9th to 12th.Bring forward Januaryand maintain. These gardening tasks are coming up:
- Prefer rhubarb.
- Create a planting plan for the vegetable patch. Follow the crop rotation in the garden. This is the only way to ensure a rich harvest. As a rule, you should alternate between growing heavy, medium and weak feeders. In the first year the heavy feeders are planted, in the second - the medium feeders and in the third the weak feeders follow. Green manure is then grown.
- Sowing spinach: When the soil dries out in mid / late January, then it is the right time to sow spinach.
- Sow cress at the end of January and harvest at the beginning of February: Cress grows so quickly and is so resistant to frost that you can grow it as early as the end of January. The harvest begins after just one week. To extend the harvest time and always have fresh cress on the table, you can sow seeds once a week from the end of January.
- Protect leafy plants such as lettuces and cabbage from pigeons with a bird protection net.
- Fertilize cabbage varieties that are ready to harvest in spring with nitrogen fertilizer.
Gardening in January: What to do in the greenhouse?
- Grow root vegetables such as potatoes or carrots on January 11th to 12th and collect and preserve them on January 28th and 29th.
- Bring the camellias in pots from the greenhouse to, ideally, an unheated room. This promotes flower formation. It's best to do this between January 16th and 17th.
- Propagate amaryllis and place it in a sunny spot in the greenhouse. Best done again on January 16th or 17th or 23rd.
- Propagate phlox and anemonias through cuttings. January 24th and 25th are favorable times for this.
- Moth orchidrepot after the end of the flowering periodwhen the roots have grown through the pot. This can happen from January 12th to 15th.
- Ventilate the greenhouse on sunny days to prevent mold growth.
Gardening in January is significantly less, at least compared to the peak season. But if you put in a little more effort now and complete the most important tasks, you will be able to enjoy a splendor of flowers and a rich harvest later.
