January Garden Calendar

By John Chapman

January is pruning and planting time for trees, shrubs and roses.
Frost protection: When frost is forecast, cover frost-tender plants with a sheet or some light covering (not plastic) by 8 p.m. and remove by 9 a.m. the next day. The covering should extend to the ground.

Young trees should have trunks wrapped and foliage covered only if a hard freeze is forecast-28 degrees or lower. A mature citrus tree, older that 6 years, will survive with minimal damage. Only fruit on outer, exposed limbs will be affected. Wait to prune off frost damage until the later part of February, the plants will show us where to make the cuts.

Diseases and insects: Now is the time to apply powdery mildew prevention methods on grapes, euonymus, roses and other susceptible plants. When it comes to powdery mildew, prevention is much easier than cure. Ask your nursery for additional information. Gray aphid population explodes in the winter. Hosing off with a forceful spray of water or squirting a few drops of dish soap from a spray bottle is an effective method of control. Sometimes for a bad infestation, simply pinch out infected area. In the case of totally infested cabbages and other vegetables, it may be wise to simply remove the whole plant.

If your cole crops (cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli) look like someone shot them with a load of buck shot, Looper-worms are the culprit. Examine these plants closely under the leaves, especially near the base and treat with Sevin, Dipel or Thuricide, or just pick off the worms and apply the foot stomp method.

Reddish-purple growth on Eucalyptus and browning or pale green needles on the Aleppo pines are weather induced and will correct themselves with a spring green-up.

Flowers: Check you nursery or garden centers for bedding plants. If you missed fall flower planting, it's not too late to have a beautiful spring garden; plant them now. Curled parsley from seed or transplants mix well with flowers for an interesting look. Don't forget that planting flowers and veggies in pots and bowels on your patio, entry- way, and courtyard are great ways to show off special textures, foliage and flowers. Coleus and caladiums are eye-catching plants that show of multicolored foliage that grows well in shaded areas.

Roses: Start watching for bare root roses, January is bare-root rose planting time. Look for strong healthy canes. Do not accept shriveled canes or canes that are sealed with wax. In order of choice, plant them on an east, south, or north exposure, west being the last and worst choice because of the afternoon summer heat. Planting roses where they can have an afternoon filtered shade would be ideal. Dig a large hole deep enough for good drainage (24 to 30 inches wide, 24 inches deep). Mix the backfill with 1/3 of a rich mixture of composted manure or organic materials and 1/3 native soil and 1/3 sand. Make an inverted cone of backfill material. Also add two cups of Treble-Super Phosphate (0-45-0) in the bottom of the hole. Spread the roots of the rose bush evenly on top of the inverted cone of soil. Orient the bud union to the northeast corner, which receives the least direct sunlight, easing some stress on the bud union. Begin watering as you finish filling up the hole to settle the soil and remove air pockets. This is also the time of year to prune established roses. Pruning in January will encourage optimum blooming in April. Cut all canes back approximately one half. Cut canes back to an outward facing bud so the new cane will grow outwardly instead on inwardly from the bud on the high side. Remove all dead canes. Thin to remove weak or old canes that are blooming poorly. Strip off all leaves and dispose of them. After pruning you should be left with 4 to 8 of the healthiest canes. Seal all cuts on canes over 1/4 inch in diameter with wood glue or a prepared sealer to prevent cane borers from boring into the cane.

Vegetables: Plant Seeds for Beets, Bok Choy, Carrots, Chard, Collard Greens, Lettuce, Leek, Mustard, Green Onions, Peas, Potatoes, Radishes, Rutabagas, Spinach, or Turnips.

Plant Transplants of Artichokes (Globe & Jerusalem), Asparagus, Broccoli, Cabbage, Chinese Cabbage, Cauliflower, Chard, Kohlrabi, and Lettuce.

Some of the best tomatoes for the Valley are Ace, Celebrity, Columbia, Rowpac, Red Express, Sweet 100, Yellow Pear, Early Girl, Big Boy and Better Boy. Pearson Improved is the favorite of county agent Terry Mikel of the University of Arizona, Maricopa County Cooperative Extension.

Some suggestions for peppers are California Wonder, Yolo Wonder and Sweet Bell Boy. For sweet peppers, try Sweet Banana. Eggplant varieties include Ichiban, Blackbell and Black Prince.

If you still need to prepare your soil for a spring- summer garden: for 100 square feet, mix three to five pounds of soil sulfur OR five to ten pounds of gypsum, but not both - two pounds of ammonium phosphate (16-20-0), 3-5 pounds of Ironite and three to five inches of organic matter like mulch, compost or manure. Work this into the soil to a depth of eight to twelve inches. A big rototiller will till about eight inches deep, a spading fork will dig to about 12 inches. The organic matter, mulch, manure or compost is very important. If you cheat in your soil preparation, your harvest will show it. Be very liberal with organic matter.

Fruit and shade trees: Plant them now. I mean as soon as you read this, they go fast. The first two weeks of January are best, but the last two weeks will do if you can get them. Plant immediately if not sooner. Plant bare root trees before they leaf out. Planting potted deciduous trees any time is fine.

Dig a hole three to four times the size of the root ball. With the earth that you will put back in the hole around the roots, mix in two to three pounds of Ironite and two to three pounds of treble super phosphate, (0-45-0). Mix this all together. Spread out the roots over a con of earth making sure the soil line on the trunk is at least the same heighth as it was planted before and water as you backfill to settle the earth and remove air pockets. Make sure the bud union is well above the soil line; otherwise, shoots will come up below the graft and the graft will be defeated.

Pruning: There are two reasons to prune. One is to improve the appearance of ornamental trees and shrubs. The other is to develop a fruit crop and keep the tree productive for many years to come. Sawing or lopping off large limb meets neither of those purposes. Ideally, pruning trees is when you have reduced its size improved its appearance and it still looks like it hasn't been pruned. When it comes to pruning shrubs, throw away the hedge shears! Shaping shrubs into round balls destroys their shape and blooming potential. More importantly, shearing causes the lower part of the shrub to become bare and twiggy. Eventually only the top of the plant is crowned with leaves. Only rows of formal hedges should be sheared, not individual shrubs. If shrubs need to be pruned for size control, then selective cutting back and removal of the longer branches is recommended. Removing them will maintain or reduce the size of the shrub while preserving its natural form. Too many people have pruned their mulberry trees as if they were peach trees and have spoiled them.

Palms should never be pruned to look like "pineapple". Palms with only the top three or four fronds remaining have been pruned excessively and improperly. Only the lower leaves, the ones that have turned brown or are yellowing should be removed. Correct pruning of palms is a "once a year" job. Palm tree fronds should not be pruned more than a 180-degree fan pattern. Palm tree pruning should be done by cherry picker equipment not by spike tree climbers. The spike injury to the palms is permanent and will shorten the life of the tree. Choose only tree trimmers that have the proper equipment. The difference is that correct pruning keeps palms healthy, and looking their best. If you want to learn more about the correct pruning of desert plants, I highly recommend "Pruning, Planting & Care", by Eric A. Johnson. It is a guide to pruning plants of the Arid West, with lots of color photography and step-by-step instructions. It can be purchased at many local bookstores. For a more detailed approach to correct pruning of fruit trees, read chapter 13 of Desert Gardening Fruits and Vegetables by George Brookbank, and Pruning Chapter (Page 76) in Sunset's Western Garden Book. I highly recommend all three of these books for your reference library. I use them constantly. Most nurseries or bookstores have them.

Lawns: Fertilize once a month with Ironite for that dark green lawn and less mowing or use ammonium nitrate, 34-0-0, one pound per 1000 square feet. Change to ammonium sulfate, 21-0-0 in April or May. The nitrate part of the compound becomes available to the plants immediately. The ammonium part will become available to the grass after the soil warms up. If you did not over seed your Bermuda, water the dormant Bermuda at least once a month. It is not dead just asleep and needs water to maintain good health but don't fertilize until late April or May.

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If you have a specific question for John please leave them on his voice mail 480-898-5636 or email him at john@johnchapman.com . Please leave your question, name, city, and phone number. For more of John Chapman’s gardening tips listen to news radio 620am KTAR Saturday morning 7:40-8AM. On Television watch John’s garden segments on Jan D’Atri’s Heart and Home on Sunday 12:30pm and replays Monday evenings 8 pm AZTV broadcast 27, Cable America 4, or Cox 13