Gardening Tips for January 2025

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What is Bareroot Season?

• Bareroot - Lilacs, Blueberries, Fruit Trees, Strawberries, Roses, Artichokes.
• Annuals - Bellis perennis, Primula (primrose-perennial used as annual), Ornamental Poppies (Breadseed poppies). 
• Perennials - Lavender, Cyclamen.
• Veggies - Strawberries, Spinach, Rhubarb, Onion Sets.
• Seeds - Wildflower seeds in bulk, Columbine (spread seeds or buy plants), Poppies (Breadseed and Orientale), Nigella.
• Hardy Shrubs - Viburnum tinus, Lilac (if you desire a certain color-wait to buy when in bloom), Ribes, Dwarf Callistemon, Daphne, Rosemary, Camellia, Lavender, Garrya elliptica, Grevillea.  
  Bulbs - Anemone, Freesias. 
• Extras - Summer Veg and Flower Seeds for starting inside in February. Dormant Oil Spray for Roses and Fruit Trees, Frost Cloth.  

• Roses – January is rose pruning time here in Sonoma County CA. Watch The Gardening Tutor Rose Pruning Playlist of How To Videos on Youtube. Locals can either have Mary out for tutoring or for her pruning services.
• Sweet Peas - Continue to protect little sweet pea plants from pests like slugs, snails, earwigs, cutworms, and sowbugs. You can still plant Sweet Pea plants if you missed planting in November. Sweet peas like cold weather and may look like they are just sitting there not growing but their roots are growing and then the plant will have lots of roots for the spring push of foliage and flowers!
• Pruning - Do you have Citrus Trees? Save most pruning for after the frost season is passed (in Sonoma County Ca-frost season is generally from the end of October all the way until mid April or beginning of May). Leaving some extra foliage on citrus now will help protect plants and fruit from frost damage. If plants do get frost burn, leave the burnt leaves on to protect the stems and clean up in April. Continue pruning dormant Fruit Trees such as Apple and pears. For Persimmons and Figs - Other than to clear out crossing, dead, damaged or diseased areas, Persimmons and Figs generally do not need much pruning. Save pruning of the fungal disease susceptible stone fruits (peach, nectarine, cherry etc.) until spring during a window of dry weather. Avoid pruning Lilac, Forsythia, Rhododendron, Azalea, and other plants that bloom in early spring. Pruning spring flowering plants (that bloom on one year old and older stems) now means little or no flowers until next year Wisteria is spur pruned now. It is best to leave the more frost tender plants such as Lantana, Citrus, and Salvias alone until just before new growth starts in springtime. One exception is Salvia greggiis, they can be lightly pruned now to clean them up and then pruned farther down closer to spring.
• Pest Management - In order to kill overwintering pests and fungal spores it’s time to dormant oil spray roses and dormant fruit trees. There are many products from which to choose; Mary uses Neem oil on her roses. If your rose has not dropped all its leaves, remove all the leaves before you prune and spray (for huge roses this is not practical). Spray the soil under and around your plant too in order to smother overwintering insects and fungal spores hiding in and on the soil.  
• Mulching - If you are not using your raised vegetable beds this winter, protect and feed the soil with a nice three to four inch layer of compost as mulch.
• Bareroot – When planting bareroot plants, soak the roots in a bucket of water for a few hours before planting to hydrate them unless they are already wet from rains. Avoid leaving them in the bucket for a long time.
• Weeds - You can still plant wildflower seeds. Make sure to first clear all weeds from the planting area. Weeds are the worst competition for Wildflowers. Staying ahead of weeding in winter also makes gardening in spring less of a chore. Let soil drain well between rain showers so as not to weed and walk in mud. Watch The Gardening Tutor Weed Management Video for tips on keeping weeds from taking over. 
• Does your garden look dead in winter? Support your locally owned nurseries so we can keep diversity in what is offered! Grab a hot beverage and head on out to your locally owned nursery to see what's in bloom at this time of year. You’ll be surprised!
• For More January Tips See January 2024 Tips.

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ALL CONTENT by Mary Frost (no AI).