Garden Tasks for January in Acadiana. By Dan Weintritt and friends

Adapted from Month-by-Month Gardening in Louisiana by Dan Gill

Created for use by the Louisiana Native Plant Society with the Acadiana Native

Plant Project.

General Guidelines and Goals

Choose plant species and ecotypes native to your ecoregion of Louisiana.

Ask your nursery where their plants are grown. Do not buy or share plants that

are invasive.

Go for diversity. Include diverse bloom and fruit times, plants that are

attractive in different seasons, and those that occupy different layers of your

garden.

Reduce the size of your lawn to only what you use, as the lawn has very

little ecological value.

What falls in the yard stays in the yard: consider keeping a brush pile of

your cuttings and limbs. This is a great habitat and a reservoir of insects that

other wildlife depends on.

Minimize chemical use. Native gardens don’t need fertilizer (which only

gives weeds a leg up), and a well-established habitat controls nuisance

insects naturally. Use herbicide sparingly, according to instructions, and only

on plants they work on.

Comply with all local ordinances regarding yard maintenance. Be active with

your Homeowners Association and communicate with your neighbors about

your motivations and plans.

Consider documenting and sharing your garden’s develop over time to

inspire others.

January - To Do

Add/Change/Improve

This is the time to plant trees and shrubs! Obtain them as bare root

seedlings, seeds, or containerized plants. Many are available inexpensively or

free from state and federal agencies like the Soil and Water Conservation

Districts.

Transplant cold-hardy trees and shrubs. If transplanting from one place to

another in the garden, ensure that a majority of the rootball is lifted intact with

the soil undisturbed around the roots to prevent transplant shock.

Look for areas where winter interest can be improved, using grasses,

palmetto, and evergreen shrubs or berry producing plants. These are visually

appealing but also provide wildlife with food and shelter for winter.

Maintain

Prune woody trees and shrubs now, while they are dormant, and risk of

injury is low. Native plant gardeners will typically allow for a more natural

appearance, but we should still watch for weak or crossed branches, etc., on

trees that may lead to injury and decline in the future, or that may cause

damage to structures and powerlines.

Tidy the garden of weeds, but avoid raking leaves and cutting back the dry

hollow stems of herbaceous plants; they host overwintering insects such as

fireflies. Stems can be trimmed to a uniform appearance of 18-30" for a neat

appearance. Seedheads that are trimmed can be bundled and placed out in

the garden as food for birds and mammals.

Manage invasive species. After the first frost, evergreen invasives such as

Chinese Privet Ligustrum sinense, Japanese Honeysuckle Lonicera japonica,

and Hen’s Eyes Ardisia crenata stand out against the leaf litter and dormant

vegetation. Uproot and remove these plants following rains.

Provide wildlife with a winter home in the form of a log and stick pile, or a

rock pile, sometimes called a rockery or stumpery.

Propagate

Divide and transplant cold-hardy perennials, including bulbs, corms, tubers,

and rhizomes (excluding Louisiana Iris, which is divided in late summer).

Start seeds in trays indoors, or containers that can be brought indoors on

cold nights. If sowing annual species, plant a third of seed, now, with a third

more saved for February and March.

Take hardwood cuttings, especially using those stems removed from

pruning. Use 6-8" pieces, pencil thin. Remove about two inches of bark from

the thick end of the stem, while leaving the green cambium layer intact. (or

scratch or score bark if it does not peel away easily). Dip in rooting powder if

desired, and insert into clean, sterile potting mix. Keep soil and stem just

moist, but not drenched enough to wash away the rooting hormone. Some

people "tent" or bag their cuttings to save humidity.

Protect

Unplug pumps on water features on freezing nights.

Protect young plants and trees from harsh freezes. No need to protect

established native plants from freezing nights.

Enjoy/Harvest

Dried grasses make beautiful arrangements for your vases

Harvest any dried seed on brown stems. Store in paper envelopes or bags;

label containers with scientific and common names, date, and location where

collected.