January Gardening Tips, "Pay now, Play Later!"

  Well, since we all harvested our bounty from our gardens in the fall and preserved it for our winter consumption, it has been a busy time, with the holidays and all. But I am sure everyone is starting to get seed catalog's in the mail and you are starting to plan what you are going to plant the quick coming planting season? Remember this is the time of the year that other things us "Urban Gardening" junkies can be doing to make our lives a little easier come spring! It's a new year, a new season, so learn from your trials and errors and make this season more enjoyable! Dad always said, "Pay now, Play Later!"
  Create and "Urban Garden" for less than $100.00!
  Last Years "January's To-Do List".

1.  When salting to melt ice on walks and driveways, spread it carefully to avoid damage to nearby shrubs, trees and grass. You could use sand or sawdust instead.Using "Epsom Salts in the Garden".
2.  Brush snow from evergreens as soon as possible after a storm. Use a broom to sweep off snow. Serious damage can be caused by heavy snow on the branches.
3. Do your lawn mower maintenance!Make it easier to mow your yard, get rid of the hard to mow spaces. Eliminate angles in beds and borders. Combine single trees or shrubs into a large planting connected with ground cover. Put the bird bath in a flower bed or surround it with ground cover.
4.  Try not to walk a lot on the dormant lawn. Dry grass is easily broken and the crown of the plant may be severely damaged or killed.
5.  With the catalog's coming in, its time to review your vegetable garden plans. Perhaps a smaller garden with fewer weeds and insects will give you more produce or my favorite, "Raised Beds". 
6.  Do not wait until late in the winter to order seeds. Many varieties sell out early.
7.  When looking at your garden catalogs for new vegetable varieties to try, an important consideration is improved insect and/or disease resistance, look also for drought-tolerant types.Also Heirlooms varieties!
8.  If you all keep any, study last year's planting, fertilizing and spraying records. Make notes to reorder the successful varieties as well as those you wish to try again.
9.  Check all of your stored fruits and vegetables such as potatoes and apples for bad spots which may cause decay. Remove or use those which show signs of spoiling.
10.  Don't forget your house plants, Turn and prune house plants regularly to keep them shapely. Pinch back new growth to promote bushy plants, Check for insects, the most common is ants, here is a natural way to deal with them!
11. Don't put your houseplant around hot electronics like T.V's, ect and give the an area with good outside light. Your house gets dry during the winter, so make sure to take a spray bottle of water and mist them or do like mom used to do and set them in the bathroom and turn a hot shower on, the steam will help them.
12.  Clean all your pots, add one cup each of white vinegar OR household bleach to a gallon of warm water and soak the pots for about 12 hours. Another use for vinegar in the garden!
13.  Move garden ornaments such as urns or jarsinside to prevent damage during the cold winter season.
14.  Feed the birds regularly and see that they have water. Birds like suet, fruit, nuts, and bread crumbs as well as bird seed. Clean their homes or bird bottles!
15. And don't forget, this is a great time to into the meat of the pages of God's Word, "The Bible". Spend lots of time with Him. He even gives you tips on "How To Garden", in His Word! 

 
2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new"


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