January can be a difficult and variable month weather-wise, but it's still a fine time for planting broadleaf evergreens, conifers, and deciduous plants of all sizes.

TREES, SHRUBS & ORNAMENTALS

Keep landscape plants watered. Cold, dry winter winds can remove moisture from the soil and from plant tissues very quickly. Newly-planted plants are especially susceptible to drying. The only way to know when a plant needs water is to check the soil around its roots. Dig a few inches into the topsoil: if the soil is dry, water is needed. Watering just before a cold snap can help plants survive bitter temperatures!

Protect plants from weather extremes. Wide swings in climate - balmy breezes one day, arctic blast the next - can be really hard on plants. Call for information on protecting plants from winter damage.

Fertilize spring-flowering bulbs when 1" of growth is seen above ground. Use one rounded teaspoon of 10-10-10 per sq.ft.

VEGETABLES & FRUITS

Grow cold-tolerant leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and collards. Some may be killed by frost, but it's worth it to have fresh greens for salads. Try planting greens in with your pansies for a pretty and useful winter garden. Or, grow them in a cold frame. Sow seeds weekly for a constant supply of fresh greens.

Mulch strawberry beds for winter protection with a layer of wheat straw or pine needles 2-3" thick. Pull the mulch back when blooms appear.

WILDLIFE & INSECTS

Expect deer and rabbits to look for food in your garden; their natural forage is scarce this time of year. Azaleas and camellias are at risk, as well as pansies and other evergreen plants. It's very difficult to deter deer when they're hungry. Protect valuable plants with "cages" made of wire fencing. Deer-repellent sprays may be helpful, and putting strongly-scented soap chips around the garden sometimes helps too.

LANDSCAPE IDEA

Enjoy winter-blooming perennials such as Rosemary, Erysimum (wallflower), and Hellebores. Evergreen ornamentals and shrubs, especially those with berries, add color to the winter landscape.

Enjoy those catalogs - but beware glowing claims of "blooms all summer," especially from companies based in northern states. Some of those plants really are great, but some are not well adapted to our growing conditions! Look for key words like "heat resistant" or "tolerates humidity." Talk to Master Gardener Volunteers at your Cooperative Extension Center for information on plants that are well adapted to our area.

HOUSEPLANTS

Let your houseplants rest. The four major causes of houseplant deaths during the winter months are over-fertilizing, over-watering, under-watering, and improper light. Most houseplants are semi-dormant in the short days of winter, so do not fertilize them. Your plants will rest and be ready for vigorous growth in the spring. Also keep an eye out for indoor insect pests; most can be controlled easily with insecticidal soap. 4 Check stored bulbs, tubers, and corms such as dahlia, caladium, and gladiolus. Soft rotting tubers indicate too much moisture; discard any that are soft, and move the healthy ones to a drier place. Shrivelling roots and tubers indicate that the tubers are too dry, so slightly moisten the material in which they are stored.

PUBLICATIONS FOR JANUARY

Winter Weather:
o Durham's Weather (UHN 1)
o Cold Damage: Protecting Plants (HIL 604)
o Spring-Flowering Bulbs (HIL 611)

NC-Adapted Plant Species:
o Growing Annual and Perennial Flowers in Durham County (UHN 8) - This publication contains a list of 20 high-performing perennial plants for Durham County.
o Bedding Plants: Stress-Tolerant Plant Species (HIL 552)
o Under-Utilized Bedding Plants for NC Landscapes (HIL 556)
o and more

Houseplant Pests
o Numerous publications on aphids, scale, mites, whitefly, etc.