Planning:
“Anyone who thinks that gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year; for gardening begins in January with the dream.” -Josephine Nuese
January is certainly the time for dreaming- and for planning and preparing your garden for the spring growing season! Grab a seed catalog and create your wish list of veggies, herbs, and flowers for 2025. Consider getting a Gardening Journal to plan which crops you’d like to grow and where. A journal is also handy for taking notes to reference in the years to come!
Planting:
Believe it or not, January is a great time to start some of your seeds indoors! The excitement many gardeners feel when growing plants by seed is in full force at the beginning of the year. Most of the seed packets we’ll carry will arrive by mid-January, and all companies we carry at Down To Earth have taken the Safe Seed Pledge. Early January we are expecting Territorial Seed Company (come by for a free 2025 Territorial Seed Company seed catalog), Adaptive Seeds, and Renee’s Garden. Mid January look for arrivals from Seed Savers Exchange, Uprising Seeds, Thyme Garden, and Willamette Wildlings.
Prevention:
Fruit trees can become susceptible to diseases and pests throughout the year. Be sure to treat your existing fruit trees at the proper times to ensure prevention of disease and pests. January is a great time to spray peach/nectarine trees for leaf curl. Check out our handy Spray Schedule to keep track of when/what to apply for best results.
Garden Maintenance Tips:
Before planting in the spring, it may be advantageous right now to test your garden soil and see if any additional nutrients are required. Additionally, enrich your soil by adding organic material inputs, and add or replace mulch around plants that need it. Don’t forget about watering any plants that are currently under protective covering through the winter!
