Ask Chris
by CHRIS WINSLOW
1. General care of garden. Your existing landscape and trees need some attention. If you haven’t already, I know your trees would appreciate a good, deep watering. Water your landscape shrubs and groundcovers too.
2. Turn off sprinklers. Automatic lawn sprinklers should be set at a minimum or simply turn them off. (Turf grass is dormant.)
3. Plant a tree. There’s still time. Maybe you purchased a living tree for the holidays. Find that perfect spot, plant it and water it in.
4. Perennial pruning. The holiday cold spell should have frozen back all perennials. Cut your native and adaptive perennials back to a few inches above the ground and mulch. Mixing some organic compost with the mulch will assure some nutrition to build beautiful new growth this spring.
5. Prepare spring vegetable garden. First of all, solarize all of those weeds. To do this you need to till your garden with a mechanical tiller or a garden spade and water the area thoroughly. Then cover with a clear plastic film and secure the perimeter with rocks or soil. The sun will raise the temperature in the garden soil to levels that will kill weeds and seeds. Allow the film to stay on for a month to six weeks. When removed, your garden will be free of weeds.
6. Catalog browsing. Find a comfortable armchair and get to work! January is a good time to look through garden and seed catalogs to decide on varieties you want to grow this year. Starting a garden journal is a simple way to keep track of what you plant and what has been successful.
7. Plant asparagus. Now is the time to prepare beds and plant. Three-year asparagus crowns will arrive in local nurseries early this month. Beds should be dug deeply and filled with rich organic compost. Three-year crowns will put you closer to harvest than seed-grown.
8. Onions are still very possible. You still have the opportunity to produce some onions this year. You can also plant turnips, collards, radishes and leeks.
9. Prune your shrubs. Cut them back but avoid any that will bloom in the spring. (Prune them after they bloom.)
10. Plant a fruit tree. Many fruit tree varieties will arrive in local nurseries this month. Plant them in latter part of the month, and through February and March. Try apples, peaches, plums, persimmons and pears.
It’s About Thyme: 11726
Manchaca Road, Austin, TX 78748
www.itsaboutthyme.com
