January
Lawn & Garden Tips
In the Garden
Rose season. January makes the beginning of dormant rose season, now is the time to prune existing shrubs & plant new additions to your full sun garden. Choose from our best selection of roses from timeless favorites like the stunning red Mr. Lincoln to new roses like the bicolor Burst of Joy. All Armstrong roses are Grade-1, featuring three or more robust canes that will soon burst with foliage and blooms.
Now is the time to prune back roses in your landscape and apply Bonide Copper Fungicide to prevent diseases including powdery mildew and rust. Make sure you prune with a sharp, clean pruners and are sealing freshly pruned canes to prevent disease. Stop by your local Armstrong to pick up everything you need for pruning along with tips for success. Here's a guide to pruning roses.
Perk up the garden with annuals. The mild weather makes it a great time to plant cool-season annuals that provide a pop of cheerful garden to the garden and containers. The best annuals for January include pansies, violas, cyclamen, Iceland poppies, primrose, snapdragons, cabbage and kale.
Sweet Pea season. Now is the time to plant sweet peas from starter plants. The cool weather allows them to easily establish and start growing up poles or a fence
Azaleas are about to bloom. January is the month when azaleas start to set blooms and depending on the weather will grace you with flowers by month's end. To maximize blooms, feed your azaleas now with organic Down to Earth Acid Mix. It's also a great time to plant new azaleas; be sure to plant in an acidic planting mix like Dr. Earth® Acid-Lovers Planting Mix.
Camellia season. Camellia sasanqua are just finishing their bloom cycle. When they have stopped blooming give them a good application of organic Down to Earth Acid Mix to keep the plant healthy and strong. Early blooming camellia japonicas will start blooming towards the end of January. Mix and match camellias for different bloom colors and heights; an Armstrong Associate can help you find the best camellia varieties for your landscape. When planting camellias remember they are an acid-loving shrub so use a planting mix like Dr. Earth® Acid-Lovers Planting Mix.
Vines about to bloom. Now is the time to plant Carolina jessamine, lilac vine and pink jasmine along a fence or trellis so you can enjoy their full show of flowers.
Early spring blooming shrubs. Magnolias and lilacs are some of the most beautiful, showy early blooming shrubs. Plant them in the garden in mid to late January to see their full bloom cycle come early spring.
Cut back Buddleja Butterfly Bush. Now is the time to do a hard prune; cut the plant back by about 75% or more based on garden space. You can also pinch back the new growth for the next few weeks to encourage a fuller plant with better branching.
Succulents transition right into winter and are a great waterwise option. Add in color changing succulents that transform into vivid colors with the cooler temps both in the landscape and in pots.
Plant interesting winter shrubs with berries. Now is a great time to plant some shrubs with berries for a pop of color in the landscape and for cutting for winter arrangements. Some favorites include heavenly bamboo, hollies, persimmon, pomegranate and pyracantha.
Perennial care. Now is the time of year to keep an eye on night-time temperatures. If the forecast calls for freezing temps cover your tender perennials including heliotrope, lavender, pentas, and scaevola with frost cloth and be sure to take off before the sun comes up in the morning. To maximize perennials in bloom, continue to deadhead regularly.
Cut back ornamental grasses. Most ornamental grasses, but not all, like to be cut back to just a few inches from the ground. Now is the time to cut back fountain grasses, meulenbergia and miscanthus.
Plant now; enjoy in spring. Now is the time to plant tulips, hyacinth, crocus and alliums bulbs in the garden or pots that you'll enjoy come spring. It's also the time to plant gladiolus and lilies; plant gladiolus bulbs every two weeks for an extended season of blooms.
Prevent and treat fungus and insects. Now is the time to apply Bonide Neem Oil to dormant roses and fruit trees along with shrubs, trees and turf to eliminate insect eggs, larvae and adults while controlling black spot, powdery mildew, rust and more.
Keep your garden blooming & healthy. Keep your flowers blooming and your shrubs healthy by continuing your fertilizing routine. An organic, granular fertilizer like Dr. Earth or Down to Earth are great choices; they slow-release nutrients as the plants need them and won't burn your plants. Plus, they are safe to use around people and pets.
Remove cool-season weeds from beds and borders. Now is the time to do a hard prune; cut the plant back by about 75% or more based on garden space. You can also pinch back the new growth for the next few weeks to encourage a fuller plant with better branching.
Vegetable Gardening
Lettuce, Kale, Spinach & Leafy Greens. Keep planting leafy green seasons to always have a fresh harvest. Do successive plantings of all your favorite greens including lettuce, spinach, kale, and chard. Leafy grows grow quickly and can be planted from a starter plant or even seed. Plant in the garden or a pot and place in full sun.
Berry Season. It's the best time to plant raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, boysenberries, strawberries and more. Choose from our best assortment of berries perfect for the garden or even pots. It's also your last chance to prune cane berries; prune off the canes that produced fruit this year leaving behind new canes that did not produce fruit. These new canes will bear fruit this spring.
Grapes Galore. Now is the time to plant dormant grapes. Choose from our best assortment of grapes including lady fingers and a grape that has a blueberry flavor. If you already have grapes in the garden now is the time to apply Bonide Copper Fungicide; an organic solution to help control common fungal diseases.
Herbs. Now is the perfect time to plant cool-season herbs like cilantro, parsley, chives, fennel, dill and sorrel along with year-round herbs like lavender, lemon balm, lemongrass and rosemary. Remember to plant the herbs you love to harvest and include a new herb to experiment with while cooking.
Deciduous Fruit Trees. Now is the time to apply your second application of apply all natural Bonide Copper Fungicide to prevent issues like brown rot, apple scab or peach leaf curl.
In the Home
Add life & health to your home with houseplants. As you put away holiday décor, your home will need some indoor cheer. Houseplants can help reduce stress, improve concentration, encourage restful sleep, and even provide air purifying benefits. Choose from large specimen houseplants to fill the void of the Christmas tree and fun foliage houseplants to replace poinsettias. Our experts can help you choose the perfect houseplants for your home.
Up the light. The shorter days may mean your houseplants need to be moved to a brighter area. Here are some signs your houseplant is asking for more light: its looking sparse or leggy, producing smaller leaves, or the leaves (or leaf tips) are browning.
Trim them up. Keep your houseplants nice and tidy; using a sharp pruner trim off any yellow or brown leaves. Be sure to clean your pruners between plants with alcohol to reduce the spread of bacteria.
Reduce watering. Warm homes and moving air (that's your AC) mean houseplants dry out faster. Signs that houseplants are receiving too much water include yellowing leaves, squishy leaves or brown edges or spots on the leaves. Also, if you start seeing pests in the soil that's a sign it's receiving too much water.
Lawn Care
Now is the time to prevent weeds. Apply DuraTurf Crabgrass & Weed Preventer for Lawn & Ornamental Beds now to prevent grassy and broadleaf weeds. Be sure to read the label and use recommended application rates; our associates can help with any questions.
Feed your cool-season lawn. January is the time to feed cool season lawns like fescue, ryegrass and bluegrass. Apply Bonide Premium Lawn Food.
Reduce watering. As the weather cools reduce your watering frequency and potentially time. Remember to water wisely being sure to water between 5-9am and water until just before you see runoff. This time of you watering twice a week is most appropriate.
Bird Time
Keep your bird feeders full. With less flowers in bloom, it's more important than ever to keep your bird feeder full.
Enjoy birds with your coffee. Place at least one bird feeder where it'll be visible from where you enjoy your morning coffee or tea. Watching and connecting with nature can help reduce stress and be a form of meditation.
