January Tasks

Fruits and Nuts – Set out apples, peaches, pears, and grapes. Start grafting pecans. Prune dormant trees.

Shrubs – Plant shrubs and trees, including broadleaf, narrow leaf, and deciduous. Graft camellias in south Alabama. Apply an ultrafine
horticultural oil spray to all deciduous shrubs to help with control of insects and diseases. Spray when weather is on warming trend.

Lawns – Soil test and add limestone as recommended. Apply pre-emergent herbicides if forgotten in September and if spring weeds were
a concern last year.

Roses – Visit nurseries and garden centers to select varieties. Plant roses. Consider old-fashioned, disease tolerant cultivars.

Annuals and Perennials – Plant hardy annuals.

Bulbs – Late plantings of Dutch bulbs will flower if planted now. Plant lilies of all types, except Madonna. Check stored bulbs and discard rotten
ones. Make indoor plantings of amaryllis, callas, and gloxinias.

Miscellaneous – Prune winter-damaged limbs. Give house plants a bath in lukewarm water to remove dust. To keep poinsettias that have
finished flowering, turn pots on their sides and let them dry completely. Cut them back lightly. Keep in a temperature of 55 to 60 degrees.

Vegetable Seeds – South: Plant hardy vegetables and root crops (garden peas, radishes, mustard, spinach, turnips). Start cabbage, broccoli, lettuce, and Swiss chard seeds in cold frames.

Vegetable Transplants –

South: Plant broccoli, celery, collards, cabbage, cauliflower, lettuce transplants, and onion sets.

South and Central: Plant asparagus in late January.

Central: Plant cabbage and cauliflower transplants. Wait until the end of January to plant Swiss chard, mustard, transplants, and onion sets.

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