Gardening Tips
In this new year of 2021, it will be interesting to see how many people will continue to enjoy the wonders of vegetable and flower gardening. Many gardeners this month are enjoying the harvest from their winter gardens that they planted in late fall. If you are one of the new-comers to gardening, welcome to the fun of seeing plants and seeds turn into flowers and delicious veggies. You may not know that you have a green thumb until you give it a try. Master Gardeners are always happy to have new members and to help them get into the Gardening Life!
January is the month to look over the lawn for patches of winter weeds. Weeds are defined as unwanted plants or plants growing in the wrong place, and now is the time to remove them before they go to seed. Spray with a commercial spray or with a home remedy combining 1 gallon of white vinegar, 1 cup of table salt, and 1 tablespoon of Dawn liquid dish soap.
Your winter landscape does not need to be void of color. Take a slow drive around St. Francis County and look for colorful winter foliage and berries in the local nandinas, hollies, and pyracantha. There will be grasses that have feather- like seed heads, crape myrtles, birch trees with beautiful barks, and coral bark Japanese maples. Flowers with winter color are hellebores, pansies, violas, and crocus. Shrubs with flowers in January/February are camellia and gardenia. Take a close look at the early daffodils; the green leaves are already up and will bloom before the end of January.
This is the month to start an indoor garden with beautiful blooms. Cut sprigs with small green leaves of forsythia, jasmine, pussy willow, and quince. Then cut up the middle of the stem 1 to 4 inches and place in a vase of warm water. You will see blooms in one to two weeks.
January is the month to look over all indoor plants. Dust them, check the back of leaves for insects, fertilize, and make sure they are getting enough light.
What is new in flower and vegetable plants? Catalogs are an easy way to find this information. Here are a few free catalogues: Burpee’s Garden wwwburpee.com, Gurney’s Seed and Nursery Co. www.guermey.com, and Annie’s Annuals www.anniesannuals.com. Remember, our local nurseries have lots of good plants and helpful ideas.
If you have questions about lawn care, flower gardening, and vegetable gardening, call the St. Francis County Court House, University of Arkansas Extension Office 870- 361- 1730. Master Gardeners of St. Francis County are always ready to help with answering questions about the Arkansas Master Gardeners organization.
( EDITORS NOTE: Information for “Gardening Tips” is provided by the Master Gardeners and is gleaned from gardening guides for planting zones in this area.)