Laidback Gardening: What to Do in January?

Seriously? A gardening calendar for January?

Non, je ne suis pas tombé sur la tête!

Granted, in the North at least, gardens are frozen, snow-covered and plants dormant. And so much the better! It allows us to take a well-deserved break.

But since January often rhymes with resolutions (it doesn’t actually rhyme, but I’ve looked for something that does and found nothing), it’s the perfect time to reflect on our garden. What worked well last year? What mistakes can we correct? With these thoughts in hand, we can plan the year ahead: seedlings, the vegetable garden, new beds and much more.

For those who find winter a long time coming, taking care of your houseplants is a great way to fill the need for greenery. Clean them, give them a little moisture and optimize their light. But don’t water them just because you feel like gardening! Excessive watering does more harm than good, especially in winter.

Of course, there’s no rush. You can wait until the holiday season is over before embarking on your gardening projects. Get your head out of the plants and enjoy some quality time with your loved ones!

Happy New Year and happy gardening!

Sowing and Vegetable Gardening

• Plan your vegetable garden: Plan the layout of your vegetable garden for the next season.
• Plan indoor seedlings for spring: This is the ideal time to think about the seedlings you’ll want to start indoors in the coming months.
• Sowing in January: It’s still too early to sow most seeds, but some particularly slow-growing plants, such as wolfsbane, datura or tuberous begonia, are worth starting as early as January. These require around four to five months’ growth before they are ready for transplanting.

Houseplants

• Indoor plant care: Make sure your plants get enough light. Reduce watering, as they need less water in winter. Stop or reduce fertilization.
• Humidify your houseplants: If your plants have curled leaves or dry tips, it’s likely that the air in your home is too dry. Use a humidifier or place them in a terrarium or plastic bag temporarily to increase the humidity around them.
• Care for holiday gift plants: Plants such as poinsettias, Jerusalem cherries and cyclamen can remain beautiful for several weeks or months with the right care. Place them in a well-lit spot, ideally in direct light, as the winter sun is less intense. Keep them away from sources of heat, and water abundantly only when the soil is almost dry. Fertilization is rarely necessary during winter.

Ornamental Garden

• Planning your flowerbeds: Now is the perfect time to plan your flowerbeds and landscaping for next season.
• Sow native plants: Some seeds need time in the cold to germinate. This is the case for many native plants, which in nature endure a good winter frost as well as several freeze-thaw cycles. So why not plant them directly outdoors, rather than starting seedlings indoors? To do this, sow them in containers filled with potting soil and place them outdoors, from December to February, depending on the region. They’ll germinate naturally in spring, and you can then transplant them to the garden.

Other

• What to do with your Christmas tree after the holidays: Rather than throwing your natural fir away after the holidays, you can give it a second life in your garden. A great option is to turn it into a winter birdhouse. Simply place it in a corner of the garden, and the branches will provide shelter from the cold and inclement weather. You can also hang bird feeders to encourage even more activity. What’s more, if you cut it into small pieces, the branches can be used as a natural mulch to protect flower beds until spring.

Don’t hesitate to share other ideas for gardening activities in January so we can add them to the list!