Happy New Year!
Now that the fireworks have faded and we’ve all recovered from the holidays, it’s time to get started on getting our gardens ready for the spring weather to come. This may seem a bit premature—there’s still snow on the ground in many places across North America. But experienced gardeners know that the growing season has a way of sneaking up on us, so with that in mind we’d like to offer some suggestions as to garden tasks for January in order to help us all get started and get ready for spring.
Please note that these are just suggestions. It’s tough to write a list that works for every climate zone and every garden space. Take what works for you, add other things your garden space needs, and make it your own!
A January Garden Checklist
· Make a plan! For many of us, our garden goals and projects are always changing and that’s part of the fun. However, let’s stay organized and make a plan for our 2026 gardens. This can be as simple as reviewing our garden journals and making a list of changes to make or things to improve, or it can be as complex as mapping out a new garden bed, landscaping update, or other ambitious project. Big or small, every garden space needs some kind of plan so let’s take the time to make one.
· Check on the houseplants! Our indoor gardens are a source of joy all winter long, so let’s take a moment and check in with them now. Does the soil need a refresh? Do the plants need some additional nutrition or water? How’s the humidity level around them? As always, what your indoor garden/houseplants need depends on your plant selection and your space, but take a look at them now and see how they’re doing so we can adjust accordingly.
· Take a walk through your outdoor garden space and see how things are going. It’s OK if there’s nothing growing yet or even if there’s snow on the ground. Now’s a good time to develop a sense of what you’ll need to do to get your garden up to speed. Are there dead plants or old growth to clear away? Is it time to expand a landscaping bed, or add some new growing space to a veggie garden? How are your perennials looking—is it time to trim and prune them? Getting a sense of where things are at before work beings can help, and may add a few items to our garden plan for the year.
· It’s time to think about seeds! Be honest: when was the last time any of us inventoried our seed collection? Now’s the time to go through our seeds, figure out what we’d like to plant, which seeds need to be used or replaced, and what seeds we need to buy for the growing season to come. We recommend taking a look at the seeds you have before you start ordering/buying new seeds, but we’ll admit we don’t always do this. Testing older seeds for viability is a good idea, too: our friends at Cornell Cooperative Extension have a good seed germination test procedure that we recommend following.
· Get your garden tools and supplies in order! Gardening tools don’t have to be fancy or complex, but they do need to be well-maintained and cared for. Whatever your tools are, whether you have a small indoor garden or a larger outdoor space, take some time to get your tools ready for garden season. Sharpen your shears, clean your soil working tools, and tune up that lawn mower so that we can hit the ground running when the time comes. If your containers need cleaning or maintenance, let’s take care of that before things get busy. Also, if you do need to order more tools or supplies, now’s the time to avoid the growing season rush.
We know it seems like a lot in some ways, but that’s why it’s a checklist: take each item as you have time and energy and get it done now so that you have more time to focus on spring when it arrives. As always, we’re here to help so please reach out if you have any questions. Gardzen is all about community, and we love to hear from you!
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