January Gardening To-Do List

Even in the doldrums of winter, there are garden tasks to tackle. Find out what we're up to in our gardens this month.

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Order Seeds

I order seed for the new year around New Year's Day, if not before, especially for spring crops like radishes, peas and lettuce. Everyone else has the same idea and there's only so much seed to go around, so it's best to be an early bird. I go ahead and order for summer, too, and take this slow time to think about my goals for my garden. —Kelly Smith Trimble in Knoxville, Tennessee

Shop: Where to Buy Vegetable and Flower Seeds Online

Maintain Garden Tools

Sharpen and clean garden tools and mowers.—Danny Flanders in Atlanta, Georgia

Learn More: How to Clean and Care for Your Garden Tools in 8 Easy Steps

Start Seeds Indoors

Start early spring vegetable seeds indoors.—Danny Flanders

Nurture Plant Cuttings

I took cuttings of scented geraniums in October, and they’re growing well now. I find I’m watering them every three days. I’ll bump them into larger pots this month.—Julie Martens in Frostburg, Maryland

Learn More: Geranium Care: Your Guide to Growing Geraniums

Water Blooming Paperwhites

My paperwhite narcissus are in full bloom, so they need water added frequently. I’m savoring the fragrant flowers.—Julie Martens

Cut Back Amaryllis

One of my amaryllis is almost ready to bloom. When the flowers fade, I’ll cut back the stalks and treat it as a houseplant until I can move it outdoors in spring.—Lynn Coulter in Atlanta, Georgia

Learn More: How to Grow and Care For Amaryllis

Fertilize Annuals

Continue feeding annuals with water-soluble fertilizer containing nitrate bi-weekly.—Danny Flanders

Top Dress Beds

Remove old mulch from beds and top dress with compost or composted manure.—Danny Flanders

Water Before a Freeze

Water everything well if a hard freeze is expected.—Danny Flanders

Maintain Cold-Tolerant Veggies

Spinach, mustard, garlic, and kale are my main winter veggies that tolerate cold weather well into January.—Felder Rushing in Jackson, Mississippi

Learn More: Cold-Hardy Winter Veggies to Grow

Protect Plants With Row Cover Cloth

To keep my winter garden going as long as I can, I’m ready with a little hay and some frost cloth to cover my winter veggies quickly should the temps drop rapidly.—Felder Rushing

Order Potatoes Now

Note to Self: Start searching online now to find a source of purple and other unusual potatoes for planting in March. The most fun ones typically sell out early.—Felder Rushing

Learn More: Planting, Growing and Harvesting Potatoes

Paint the Shed

Nothing brightens a gray winter day like a pop of color. We'll paint the tool shed.—Mark and Debbie Wolfe in Atlanta, Georgia

Cut Spent Perennials

We’re having mild winter weather, so I’m still doing garden chores on nice days, like cutting down spent perennials.—Julie Martens

Keep Out Rascally Rabbits

Rabbits are gnawing the ‘Chicago Hardy’ fig. I need to cage that on a warmer day.—Julie Martens

Learn More: How to Keep Rabbits Out of the Garden Without Harming Them

Combat Whiteflies

This is the time of year my Greek basil often succumbs to whitefly. I keep an eye on plants to clip problem leaves before things get out of hand.—Julie Martens

Learn More: Controlling Whiteflies and Aphids

Start New Compost Pile

It's a new year, time to turn over a new ... compost pile. We'll be starting a new one. —Mark and Debbie Wolfe

Learn More: The Different Ways to Make Compost

Fill Bird Feeders

I'm filling bird feeders for self-serving purposes, to see these feathered beauties brightening gloomy winter days.—Felicia Feaster in Atlanta, Georgia

Shop: 35 Best Bird Feeders and Accessories for Your Yard

Clean Bird Feeders

Bird feeders must be kept clean to reduce risk of disease. Wash with bleach or a mild disinfectant, rinse and dry before refilling.—Mick Telkamp in North Carolina

Overseed Bare Spots in the Lawn

Giving the lawn a head start by seeding some bare patches in the back yard. The cycle of freezing and thawing this time of year can help set seeds and encourage germination.—Mick Telkamp

Research Lawn Replacement

My lawn is in desperate need of a revitalization. Considering the various options out there and whether sod, seed or plugs are my best option. —Felicia Feaster

Make Window Boxes

On mild days, I’ll start re-staining my back deck. I want to add flower boxes on the railings this year, and hooks to hold hanging baskets. Since I can see the deck from inside my house, I’ll plant flowers that attract pretty butterflies and hummingbirds. —Lynn Coulter

Learn More: How to Build a Window Box

Pull Spent Vegetables

We'll be pulling spent vegetables in the winter garden.—Mark and Debbie Wolfe

Force Branches

I cut branches from my pussy willow bush and forced them indoors. I am enjoying them in a tall vase where my Christmas tree once stood. Did you know that pussy willows, whether from your own bush or fresh from the store, are remarkably easy to root? These gorgeous branches originated in a bunch of cut branches I bought last year at the market and placed in water. They quickly sprung roots, and I planted them directly into my garden where one produced an incredibly tall, productive pussy willow tree. Garden magic! —Felicia Feaster

Survey Damaged Trees

I'll be keeping an eye out for dead or damaged branches on the many trees that surround my home in leafy Atlanta and call my tree-guy if any limbs look dead or dying and are likely to fall. —Felicia Feaster

Repot Plants

I am repotting a root-bound ribbon Dracaena that I rooted last winter from an overgrown plant; it should be well established by spring. —Felder Rushing

Leave Wildflowers

I usually leave a few clumps of Oxalis and other lawn and garden weeds alone as a cool weather flowering plant for the occasional warm day when bees are out foraging. Later it’ll be a place for the Easter Bunny to leave colored eggs.—Felder Rushing

Add Winter Accents

Colorful garden accessories, including this whimsical glass accent, helps banish the winter blahs.—Felder Rushing

Swap Plants With Neighbors

I plan on asking a neighbor for a rooted "start" of her yellow-berried Nandina, which not only looks great in the winter garden, but which also seem unattractive to birds because they don't look ripe like regular red berries.—Felder Rushing

Visit a Garden Center

Visit your local florist or garden center and walk their greenhouses. I love doing this after the holiday rush and before they get really busy with Valentine's Day orders. Often they help me with questions I have about propagating and clue me in on new plants to look for in the spring. I even convinced my fave guy to hold a workshop for my garden club. —Kim Visokey in Winnetka, Illinois

Take Some Photos

I love everything about winter garden photographs. They move me to reflect on my garden (and other gardens) in ways I don't have time to do in the midst of the busy gardening season. Now's the perfect time to shake that camera out of hibernation and capture the beauty of fresh snowfall on the garden. You'll see things in a whole new light.—Kim Visokey

Check for Snow Damage

Take a quick survey after a fresh snowfall. Carefully removing any accumulated snow from shrubs takes just a few minutes and can save the plant from breakage and your wallet too! Make sure not to force frozen or heavy snow, or you might do more harm than good.—Kim Visokey

Take a Garden Trip

Traveling somewhere in January? Why not research before you go and plan to check out local gardens and botanical attractions for inspiration? —Kim Visokey