General Gardening Tips for January!

• Add a little compost and a thick layer of mulch to protect the tender new growth. This is an excellent use for the branches of your discarded Christmas tree.

• In the event of snow, be sure to shake or brush off the white stuff from the branches of your evergreens and shrubs. The light fluffy snow poses no real threat, but if it should become wet and frozen, the weight will dramatically increase, and branches are more brittle when the plants are dormant, and the weight of the snow may snap them off.

• Dormant spraying of fruit trees, Cotoneaster, Dogwoods, etc. should be done this month on a calm day.

• It's a good time to prune most of your deciduous trees and shrubs, making sure to grease the wounds to prevent infection.

• Forsythia, Jasmine and Quince sprays can be cut and brought into the house now for forcing. The warmth in the home will bring some early bloom to your room.

• Fireplace ashes (If you have a fire) should be saved to use as a fertilizer for your Iris and other alkaline soil plants.

• If the ground is workable at all (not frozen and not too wet), now is an excellent time to turn the soil. Not only will this expose insect eggs to the effects of winter and hungry birds, the freezing will help to break apart heavy clods of soil.

• Take care of your houseplants by cleaning the leaves as dust on the foliage can clog the pores on the leaf, you clean them with a damp cloth, or a spray with tepid water. Plants that are actively growing will benefit from a feed of liquid plant food. On very cold nights, it is a good time to close the curtains or blinds between the window and your houseplants. Make certain that your plants have sufficient humidity, by setting them on a tray filled with clean ornamental pebbles and a little water, or you could just set a cup of water nearby. Be careful not to overwater your Christmas poinsettia's.

• You can force Hyacinth, Paper white Narcissus, and Lily of the valley bulbs into bloom indoors, in a shallow bowl of water, or in pots this month. Don't try to force daffodils as they will only produce foliage if you do.

• Keep a close eye open for insects on your houseplants. If you have a greenhouse, be sure to check your plants carefully. Watering needs to be checked regularly and kept to a minimum to avoid problems.

• Extra time this month might well be spent getting the garden tools ready for spring. Sharpen and oil tools such as shovels, shears, mowers and the like. Power tools such as weed eaters, blowers, chainsaws and lawn mowers may benefit from a service or a good tune-up. Maybe the wheelbarrow could use a fresh coat of paint?

• It's not too early to begin to think of a strategy for new spring plantings. You might find it helpful to create a small map of your garden, and use it as a guide for ordering your plants and seeds online and from the catalogues that will be arriving soon, although they are continually arriving these days.