January Garden Guide

According to Walter Reeves, this is what should be done in Georgia gardens this week:

• Prepare beds for bare-root roses that will soon arrive in nurseries. Dig an area four feet wide and twelve inches deep for each plant, adding plenty of soil conditioner to the soil. see Rose Buying and Planting

• Water poinsettias only as needed – when the top inch of the soil becomes dry to the touch. Keep them in bright light but cool temperatures. Do not fertilize until March. see Poinsettia Care After Winter

• Now is a great time to drain and replace the oil in your mower and to have the blade sharpened or to replace it completely. see How to Maintain Your Mower

• It is easy to see the limb structure of trees now. Tie ribbon around the ones you think should be removed then step back for another look before cutting them off. see Tree Pruning

• If the ground is dry, till the soil in your vegetable garden. You’ll eliminate lots of insects, weeds and nematodes.


Your Southern Garden has a more extensive list.

And from UGA:

Make a garden plan. Plan the garden to include

various vitamin groups.

Consider planting a few new varieties along with

the old favorites. 

Plant the amount of each vegetable to be planted,

including enough to can and freeze. Allow about

1/10 acre of garden space for each member of the

family. 

Buy enough quality seed for two or three plantings

to lengthen the season of production.

Take soil samples if you have not already done so,
and take them to your county extension office for
analysis.

Apply manure or compost and plow it under if you
did not do so in the fall.

Apply lime, sulfur and fertilizer according to the
soil-test results and vegetable requirements. Buy
100 pounds of fertilize for each 1/10 acre to be
planted (if manure is not available, buy at least half
again more). Use 5-10-10 or 6-12-12 analysis,
depending on soil test and vegetable requirements.

Get plant beds or seed boxes ready for growing
plants such as tomato, pepper and eggplant. Have
beds ready for planting in early February.

Check on your compost pile and make sure it is
ready for use in the spring.