Bounce Some Garden Ideas Of On Me... for January!

[vfem]

Yep... January is an important garden time... some of us are now going to be writing articles for a column on gardening. I need to write about CURRENT garden stuff, and we start in January!!!!

So trying to get a calender of topics from Jan to Jun and what topics I will be writing about. So trying to find some great ideas to get my articles rolling!

New part time job.

Hey this sounds wonderful!

Good for you!

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l231/injunjoetortman/gifs/mimosa.gif

Joe

Thanks, I'm very excited!

I've had to keep it hush hush while we knocked out the plans for the newsletter... now we're finishing up the editors calender, and planning how we're going to do a live webcast weekly to go with it! Its going to be fun!

(Still waiting to hear what and if I get paid! LOL)

 

[Greensage45]

I want to help you with this. I am not sure what you're exactly asking for; is it ideas for your zone, or what we do in our own zones during a 'normal' January?

I think you want to hear what we do so you can relate this to new thoughts on your own gardening. I think LOL

OK here goes,

January 2010 (sounds sort of Futuristic)

In January I lay on the loveseat in my living room which is positioned on a South facing window. I spend several hours soaking up the sun. This is a Winter ritual.

I look at the disaster of a house which I have cleaned all year, but for some reason January is a prime 'dust' season. That, and an invasion by every spider that wants to winter it out in the tropics of my home, cause me to realize it is time to take the hose and turn it on in the house. Just start from the outer walls and work my way to the center of the house in the hallway where I have a central drain. I wash everything. I hose off the couch, the tables, the counters, the walls and all my intricate nick-nacks. I even spray down the ceilings.

When I am done everything is sparkling clean! LOL then I wake up on the Loveseat and realize I have had enough sun for the day! Who want's to do housework!

Seriously, I have always wished for a waterproof home with a central drain all my adult life! LOL What a dreamer!

As for gardening, well, I am an avid 'Winter Waterer'. I am a firm believer that all plants that are overwintering are growing 90% of their new roots. When a bush returns from 'dormancy' and starts to either bloom, leaf, or fruit, the plant only does about a 10% energy expenditure on root growth; instead it focuses on the above ground tasks. So with that in mind I make sure that all of my trees and bushes and hardy perennials are watered normally.

By this time I am also able to break free my assorted annual vines. They are dry and brittle and simply taking a rake across the trellis/fence breaks them off. They come out of everything and are transported to the mulch. I even start clearing out all the beds of any annual debris. It becomes quite tidy and clean out there. I find that there are many living plants interspersed everywhere. Tiny salvias, tiny gaillardias, tiny mallows, and aster are everywhere. Clearing all the debris allows them to get maximum light and not get all rotten from all my watering!

I don't do any pruning in my winter months unless I have to; I don't prune my roses until exactly February 14. This is when they break dormancy and I get to prune everything from the roses to the peaches to the plums and everything in-between. Now don't get me wrong, nothing will actually break dormancy and throw a leaf (usually, if not evergreen), but I can tell that the buds are beginning to swell up and so the 'juices are flowing' so to speak. Typically it is the Globe Willows and the Weeping Willows who throw leaf first. Usually before April 1st. This does not mean we cannot get a late freeze, so there is a secret that I follow (secret is in that I tell everyone!) LOL, that the desert speaks to us through our native Ocotillo plants.

You see, the Ocotillo will not bloom if there is going to be another freeze coming--even the late freak freeze! They seem to know the weather, and once they bloom, then it is safe to put seedlings and plants in the ground. The ground may still be too cold by then, but there wont be a freeze.

OK, getting back to January!

If I do get any Seed/plant catalogs for each season they usually are on my coffee table by then. I love contemplating having everything! I save them for some odd reason. I get more plant pictures online, and I often will visit their websites only to look and read. I find that I am still holding on to seeds that I purchased a few years before and I try to take inventory of what is 'left-over' from my efforts. Some I tried and failed and held on to a portion to try again, and some I have that worked but I only used a small portion. One in mind is Angelonia

I got white, pink, and purple; I managed to have 6 plants throughout the year and on through last winter. They bloomed nicely and I had hoped they reseeded well. I can report that by Spring of 09', this year, no new seedlings arrived near or around my plants. I did not deadhead, but I did dry break-up the seedheads. Angelonia seeds are 'pelleted seed', because the actual seed is so tiny. For me that means Microscopic! LOL

I liked them! I have all colors kept in tiny glass viles, all 'pelleted seed', so I will likely get them started by January.

I also have my new greenhouse! It is a greenhouse in as much as it is a human-sized terrarium. I am monitoring it right now and it has been enclosed since 10/29.

sorry, same picture as before!

I currently have it running a steady 78 F during the peak of the day on through to evening. By early morning 7 a.m., it is sitting at 48 F. I will be stepping up the heat by adding another radiant heater. These are flat panels. They are the kind of heat that are used by zoos for reptiles and birds.

So, I think by January I will have all of my seeds listed and most started. I know off my head right now I will be doing at least 16 of two separate Mallows/Hibiscus. I want to do a ton more of my Lisianthus (which are still in bloom right now in the greenhouse). I will be doing more Geraniums (this one)

I will start my next season's tobacco and tomatoes in the greenhouse. My intention is to keep the bottom range into the 60's, that and my heat panels I should be able to force with bottom heat. This is all a new experience for me.

By the end of January I will have turned many beds, added compost/manure renderings, and probably began my first series of hand weeding. We get a ton of weed seeds spread through the winds and my feet; plus those odds and ends weeds that took to seed from the end of the previous season (right now! ), but what is nice is that it is all forgiving. Once January comes there will be no more debris and it will be so neat and manicured!

This is all speculation on my part. Here is a picture of my backyard in January three seasons ago.

not much you can do when the weather turns; but, surprisingly we can see this snow one day, and in less than three the last traces are 2000 ft up on the Mountain range. Then the valley warms up again.

Three seasons ago and that same pot on the table is filled with the very same Snapdragons that grow there today! They are pure white snaps with a yellow inner tongue. Amazing!

I will propagate as many Snapdragons this January as I can muster! These will be from all my collected seed so the crossing might be interesting. I consider the Angelonia like a Snap!

I also have some Delightful News! My Birthday Gift Came in from Joe! It arrived just as the sun was setting. There was no time to take pics it got dark fast, but everything was transferred from the plastic into the air in my greenhouse. So from Florida Air to Greenhouse New Mexico Air. I used distilled water to hydrate everything.

So by January I will have an incredible display of Airplants that will undoubtedly integrate into my other Birthday Gift to myself. I am going to start some Hypertufa projects. I bought myself 3 cu. ft of peat, a bag of perlite, vermiculite, and Portlands cement. I also plan to do cement carvings/sculptures. I think it is time to allow the artist in me and the plant lover to merge into a product! I have been out of the Farmer's Market for over a year now. Time will tell; at least by January I will know the direction! I do like alpine, but then that is hard for our region...expensive plants. I am going to have to be creative! Most definitely the Airplants and my newest collection two more Epiphyllums will keep me focused.

This site I liked because it has every shape and the pricing is a thought on any projects that I intend to sell. I find this very helpful because I am guilty of underestimating the value of handwork.
http://www.farmbrookdesigns.com/id30.html
I dig this concrete carving! I am so addicted to the thought of it. Here is a link to an Artist in New Mexico who teaches classes on his technique. Inside you will find the link to their gallery, and see the handiwork of the students. It is awesome stuff! He gives great online instructions and pictures. His recipe and technique are there for everyone! How cool is that?

Sandpudding.com I like the name, and now my inspiration has escalated into enthusiasm for doing this! I hope more folks consider this project this January!

OK, I guess I exhausted this post. I enjoyed documenting my thoughts. This was an effort that lasted over several hours. I managed to write all of this between no less than 10 breaks! LOL Whew! :mow

Is it January Yet? LOL :tools

Ron

 

[Broke Down Ranch]

You see, the Ocotillo will not bloom if there is going to be another freeze coming--even the late freak freeze! They seem to know the weather, and once they bloom, then it is safe to put seedlings and plants in the ground. The ground may still be too cold by then, but there wont be a freeze.

I do the same with mesquite trees. A mesquite won't bud unless the frost's are all over with. Unfortunately I did not pay attention to my mesquites this year. :/

January for me is all about scheming and waiting for the right time to start my seeds. I usually start my onion at the end of January. Plus I may get out there and work the tiller and start getting the soil loosened and add some nice hot chicken poo. That way it has time to break down before planting time.

I forgot to mention I also have a PLUTHERA of flower seeds (that I have been collecting all year) that need to get planted SOMEwhere. Some of them should already be in the ground but half the time I don't even have time to turn around so....over the winter, on days it's not too cold, I plan on making flowerbeds. I need to get all my seeds oraganized and categorized according to how tall they grow and when they bloom so I can know the best planting scheme for them. The size of the task is daunting enough that I keep putting it off. :/

 

[digitS']

I use the blooms of the Oregon Grape as an indication that peas can be planted. I've never quite come up with anything native to show when frost can no longer be expected. The budding out of Douglas fir trees isn't trustworthy. Buds on trees in the sun will burst earlier - so, does one look on the north or south side; higher or lower on the tree? Locust trees leafing-out works a little better.

But we were talking about January . . . Expect a late spring if it is still below zero on the 17th of February :/. That's my traditional day to sow the 1st snapdragon and pepper seed. Expecting a late spring - don't plant them on the 17th of February.

But we were talking about January . . . I'm so glad that most seed companies send their catalogs out earlier in recent years . Used to be that ALL of them arrived in January. I need a good month to look at them and count the seed still on the basement shelves.

My first seed orders go out at the end of January . . .

Heck, the ground is frozen and covered with snow here in January. My shovel work is all accounted for without even thinking about good, rich earth. Talking about feeling "cooped up" - here's the view the chickens have up my driveway in January of this year:

sneaking back in here to change "January of last year" to "January of this year" - probably makes little difference since they both had an unusual amount of snow . . . . aaaannd, it is snowing at this very minute, so in 6 or 8 weeks . . .

 

[vfem]

Well, my article is supposed to spread across most Zones. So I need to figure out something I can write about just to give some ideas to people!

So I have picked 2 of my topics for January now! And one is the planning for your plot and starting a journal, and the second is going to be about getting your catalogs, orderings some spring seed and joining trading sites, such at wintersown.org.

Then we go into Feb, where I need to start talking about starting seed indoors based on your zone or climate. Most items you'll need to do this.

But I need 2 articles for Feb, then 2 articles minimium for March... ect ect!

 

[Greensage45]

February should be centered around Valentine's and Roses! This is when I celebrate the Rose by proper pruning and refreshing the soil line with composts. I then fertilize them. I like using a systemic feeder to handle the aphids versus the spray applications. It helps if thrips are a problem in your area (where onions grow thrips will be there). Here is a telltale sign:

March should be bulbs and seedlings for spring (6wks prior to last frost).

I like the Journal part!

Ron

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Pruning might be a topic for late winter (Feb or March). Have fun. Sounds like a great opportunity, whether or not you get paid.

 

[vfem]

I definitely want to touch base on pruning.

However, the main focus of the articles will eventually be fruit/veggie gardening. Its for a cooking/baking/recipe newsletter. They really want to start focusing on sustainable living, and local eating. So gardening seemed like the right choice.

The community on the website is fabulous, and after I through up a few garden posts and recipes using some of my fresh veggies... people really perked up to the idea and I was getting a lot of questions thrown my way. I because "Ask Shannon!?" all of a sudden!

It was nice, but I don't spend much time there... so I was shocked to be asked to do this from the CEO of the site!

There is sooooooooooooooo much I could write honestly... but I have to find a way to write about all this stuff in very little space. I'm looking at maybe a top 10 list, max 2 paragraphs per article. More if I don't want to add a photo, but they would like me to add a recipe!

 

[DrakeMaiden]

Well, I guess I was thinking about pruning fruit trees . . . not sure if those fall under the umbrella of what you are doing. That is most of the pruning I do anymore, as I'm focused on mostly growing edibles now.

If you want to broach involved topics, like pruning apple trees, you could always just tell people where they can find the information (websites or books) . . . then you would be free to write more about things like making that apple jam recipe I saw you post on BYC.

 

[Rosalind]

Oh, January recipes? You know, I thought it would be difficult to have local food in January, but it isn't really. You just end up eating everything that went into the freezer/canning jars the previous year.

I keep lettuces and salad greens in a window box in the laundry room. Our neighbors do hydroponic tomatoes year-round, as does a farm down the road. Soups and chilis made from canned and frozen veggies, dry beans cooked in the crockpot with a can of tomatoes, dried hot peppers, chopped onion and whatever else you like, makes an easy dinner. We keep winter squash in the root cellar in the basement. My favorite is microwaved winter squash with brown butter, sage and some kind of hard Italian or sharp cheddar cheese sprinkled on top. Dried apples or apricots cooked in a bit of sugar syrup & apple brandy with a cinnamon stick and a little scoop of ginger ice cream makes dessert. If you buy a little piece of fresh ginger, you can grow it in a pot year-round indoors, and it will grow into a bigger root that you can keep taking cuttings from. Also, I try to overwinter the cabbage and kale as much as possible with row covers and such, but when the snow gets too deep I still have sauerkraut.

It's also the season for Chicken With 40 Cloves of Garlic. Keeps the colds and flu at bay because no one wants to go near you with the garlic breath! Not that this is very foodie, but I make up some herbal bath salts for winter use, because after shoveling a tunnel through several feet of snow, I usually want a bath and a mug of mulled wine.

Totally not from the garden, unless you grow wine grapes, but the local vineyards usually produce something appropriate for this recipe:
1 bottle cheap fruity Pinot Noir type red wine
1-2 tbsp. sugar, depends on how dry the wine is
2 cinnamon sticks
10 allspice berries
1 inch sliced fresh ginger
5 cloves

Heat gently, as in a very clean coffeemaker, for about 20-30 minutes until thoroughly warmed and fragrant. Good for what ails ya. Best when served by St. Bernard dogs, from a barrel.