January Checklist 2007

Here’s a checklist of things to do in the landscape in January:

• Avoid walking on frost laden or frozen lawns. Doing so will break the grass blades and cause the lawn to turn brown.

• Repot houseplants as they outgrow current pots.

• Pot an amaryllis bulb and water. Fertilize when the bulb sprouts. Keep evenly moist and place in a bright window, but out of direct sun.

• Sketch garden plans, including what to grow, spacing, arrangement and number of plants needed.

• Send for seed and nursery catalogs. Order seeds and plants as early as possible for best selection.

• Keep road and sidewalk salt away from plants. If necessary, screen the plants with burlap to keep off spray. Calcium chloride products are recommended over sodium chloride to melt ice. Sand, cinders, ash and fresh kitty litter also may be used instead of ice-melting salts.

• Prune summer- and fall-blooming woody plants, including vines, shrubs and trees.

• Gently brush away snow that may accumulate on shrubs before it freezes. Use your hand or a broom.

• Fertilize spring-flowering bulbs as they break the ground.