Gardening Tips for January
1. Fertilize winter annuals such as pansies, violas and ornamental kale with a balanced fertilizer.
2. This a good time to transplant established trees and shrubs.
3. Apply dormant oil to trees that have a large amount of scale. Dormant oil can be applied until bud break.
4. The drought this year has brought a new perspective to the type of landscape we should have. This is a great time to evaluate what plants did well and what did not. Formulate a new plan for a more water efficient landscape.
5. Order from seed and plant catalogs now for the best choices. Remember to select plants and seeds that grow well in Texas.
6. It is time to prune shade trees, fruit trees, crepe myrtles, summer flowering trees, shrubs and evergreens. Do not prune spring flowering trees and shrubs. Prune these after blooming.
7. It is important to prune your trees and shrubs correctly. Start by removing dead or diseased branches. Remove crossing limbs that are rubbing other limbs. When pruning, do not cut the branch flush to the tree. At the base of the limb is the branch collar. It looks like a ring of bark. Prune just at this ring. This will let the tree heal correctly. Seal cuts with pruning spray on red oak and live oak trees only.
8. Do not remove more than 25% of the tree to prevent water sprouts and root suckers.
9. The number one mistake that I see with pruning is the practice of topping trees and crepe myrtles. Topping is the indiscriminate cutting back of tree branches to stubs that give the tree a hat rack appearance. This is a huge mistake. It weakens the tree and in some cases, has caused the death of the tree. DO NOT TOP YOUR TREES!
10. If you are unsure or not able to prune your trees, have the trees pruned by a professional arborist. Do not use a company that advertises topping. Check references and check for proof of insurance.
Rhonda has been a gardener for most of her life. As a child, she learned many things about gardening from her parents and grandparents. She became a Certified Master Gardener with the Texas Cooperative Extension Service in 2001 and has been a regular guest on Town Talk for 3 years. She is a Texas native and has lived in the Brownfield area with her husband and two sons for 27 years.
