A January Gardening Checklist 

Even in the doldrums of winter, there are garden tasks to tackle. Find out what chores you can do now to keep your garden growing and get ready for spring. HGTV and I have teamed up to help in this effort.

First, order seeds for the spring garden. Take this slow time to think about your garden goals and make a plan.

Maintain garden tools. Spring is the busiest time for gardening, so that makes winter the perfect time to get your garden tools in shape. Hand tools should be cleaned and sharpened. Remove rust and treat handles and blades with a protective coating. Power tools like mowers, weed trimmers and blowers should also be cleaned, motors tuned up, blades sharpened, etc. For battery-powered tools, make sure to store the batteries indoors. Extreme cold temperatures can considerably shorten the battery life.

Test seeds for viability. If you have seeds from previous growing seasons, you can test them to see if they’re still good. To test seeds, space several out on a few layers of moist paper towels, roll it up so that the seeds don’t touch, and enclose the bundle in plastic wrap so it doesn’t dry out. Place in a warm bright location (65 to 75 degrees is fine) but away from direct sun. Check the seeds every couple of days. If they haven’t germinated — or only a few have sprouted — in a couple of weeks, chances are they’re no good.

Start seeds indoors. Starting seeds indoors in winter helps you get a jump on your spring and summer gardening goals. Seed starting may also save you money in the long run, and, no matter your age, it’s a great way to learn about how plants grow.

Add a layer of mulch to garden beds. If you didn’t get a chance to lay down fresh mulch in the fall, do it now. Top dress your garden beds with compost or pine straw. Having a new layer of mulch in the winter has many benefits, including insulating plant roots, retaining soil moisture, suppressing weed growth and protecting bare soil from erosion.

Fill bird feeders. During the winter, birds need our help the most since they spend nearly all their time and energy seeking food, shelter and water. Plus, keeping the bird feeders full means you can enjoy these feathered beauties out your window on these winter days.

Grow vegetables indoors. Don’t let winter hold you back from growing fresh vegetables and herbs. Root vegetables like carrots, beets, and radishes, as well as greens like spinach, Swiss chard and lettuces, can all be grown indoors. Growing fresh herbs such as parsley, cilantro, oregano, mint and thyme can help elevate your cooking and add some charm to your kitchen decor.

Keep your poinsettia happy. Poinsettias are quite the thing in December, but what do you do with them in January? Keep them as houseplants. Poinsettias are a tropical plant so you can’t put it outside until the spring when nighttime temperatures are above 55 degrees F. Keep poinsettias in a sunny window away from cold drafts and water when they feel dry. Plan on moving poinsettias outside around the first of May — they’ll make a nice addition to your summer porch or patio. You’ll need to cut them back to encourage new growth, then next fall move them back inside and read up on how to get them to turn red again.

Clean out and store pots. If you haven’t done so already, put your pots away! Deep freezes don’t just affect plants, they can wreak havoc on containers, flowerpots and other features in your garden. Freeze and thaw cycles can crack even the hardiest containers, so empty out the soil in them and scrub the pots clean with a solution of one part bleach to nine parts water before you tuck them away for the winter. If the containers are too big to move, cover them instead with heavy plastic or bubble wrap.

Keep weeding. Not all weeds take a break during the winter. Many sprout in the fall then set seed and grow in the colder months. Deadnettle, chickweed and bittercress are a few of the weeds you’ll see thriving in chilly temps. If manually digging out weeds, be sure to dig deep and get all their roots and runners and be careful not to shake or disturb the weed too much; it may cause you to inadvertently spread more seed. All-natural and chemical herbicides can be used, but do your research to find out what type will work best for your type of weed. 

I trust this checklist will aid you in your gardening exploits this month.

Tim Lewis is a Georgia Green Industry Association Certified Plant Professional, gardening writer, and former Perry High School horticulture instructor. He can be reached at (478) 954-1507 or timlewis1@windstream.net.