January in a cold climate means your soil is frozen solid and covered in ice and snow. But you can create your own warm, plant-centered environment indoors as you start to get ready for your upcoming growing season.
Leaves
The first plants to start indoors in January are your perennial herbs. Some of your outdoor perennial herbs may not come back from winter. This is probably the case for rosemary, which is perennial in warmer climates but not cold ones like Chicago. If you like having some rosemary sprigs to toss onto warm dishes, make sure to start rosemary this month.
Other perennial herbs to consider starting indoors are chives, oregano, sage, thyme, mint, lemon balm, and lavender. If you start these slow-growing herbs now, you’ll have plants big enough to move out to your garden in March.
January gardening focuses on planning, indoor seed starting for spring (and don’t forget the value of using ML/Photo Plus for a good start!), pruning dormant trees/shrubs, planting cool-season crops (in milder climates), and general garden maintenance like tool care and mulching, preparing for the spring boom with tasks like ordering seeds, starting onions/leeks/cabbage indoors, and planting bare-root trees/roses.
Outdoors (Planting & Pruning)
- Plant:Bare-root roses, fruit trees, and hedging (if ground isn’t frozen). Plant asparagus crowns and rhubarb.
- Prune:Dormant apple/pear trees, wisteria, roses (that bloom on new growth), gooseberries, and redcurrants.
- Tidy:Clear leaves from beds, deadhead winter pansies, and check stakes.
- *Christmas tree branches: can be used as mulch in the garden.
