The new year is ideal for goal setting, resolutions, and new beginnings—and there is truly no better place to start than the garden! Whether you have made a New Year’s resolution to try gardening for the first time or you are a seasoned green thumb looking for new ways to plan and organize your garden, this gardening guide will help get you started!
What Should Gardeners Be Doing in January?
There is plenty of gardening work that you can do in January! Since it is an excellent month for planning your garden, you might want to consider taking a peek at the new 2022 catalogs that are available.
You can also plant spring-blooming bulbs, cool-season herbs and veggies, continue to water and weed your garden, compost, build raised beds in the cooler months—the list goes on!
First, we’ll dive into our top maintenance tips for gardeners to keep busy, then a few suggestions on what you can plant in January.
Make Plans for the Coming Season
Whether you are dreaming of flower beds or a veggie garden, planning out your gardening strategy for the season to come is one of the most valuable tips that this guide has to offer.
January is the time to think about where you will rotate your crops from the previous year and begin construction projects like building raised beds and trellises. It’s also a perfect time to start a gardening record or journaling practice so that you can keep notes on what flowers and veggies thrive and which ones don’t. Then, you can adjust your plans slightly by selecting different plants or planting in different locations in the following year.
Contact Seed & Bulb Companies for Their New Year’s Catalog
There has been quite an influx of seed purchases in the last two years, so it pays to be an early bird if you plan to start seeds or plant bulbs in your garden. January is a big month for catalog releases; set aside some time early in the month to ensure you snag yours before they’re all gone!
Be Prepared for the Cooler Weather
January is the coldest month of the year here in Fort Lauderdale, so it is essential to be diligent about checking the weather. You may need to bring more sensitive plants like orchids indoors every now and again or cover your garden beds if the temperature dips below 32 degrees.
What Can I Plant in Zone 10 in January?
One of the benefits of living in warmer climates is playing in the garden for 12 months of the year! Here are some suggestions for bulbs, flowers, herbs and veggies that you can plant in January in zone 10.
Flowers & Bulbs
While tulips are known for making a big spring show in cooler climates, late December and early January are ideal for planting varieties of tropical and subtropical bulbs that can thrive here in south Florida.
If you’re interested in adding some bulbs to your garden plans, consider planting varieties such as Agapanthus, Crocosmia, Amaryllis, Crinum lilies, or spider lilies. Annuals and bedding plants like Lobelia, Petunias, Alyssum, Calendula, or Dianthus are also great options.
Edible Plants
January is also a great time to plant cool-season herbs like dill, fennel, mint or thyme. You can also get your veggie garden started by planting cool-season vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, beets, kale, turnips, cauliflower, celery, snap peas, or lettuce.
What Else Should I Be Doing in January?
Florida gardeners can plant woody shrubs like Azalea or Viburnum in January; just be sure to water them frequently until the plants are well established. January is also an ideal time to prune non-spring-flowering shrubs and trees; It is also wise to prune your roses early in the year while they are dormant.
After pruning, be sure to fertilize and re-mulch your garden beds to ensure that the fertilizer stays where you intend it to be, and your garden can maintain as much moisture as possible. You may also want to watch the weather and adjust your watering schedule accordingly. While this is technically considered a dry, cool season in Florida, the amount of precipitation can still fluctuate a fair bit, and we should water our gardens accordingly.
We hope this 2022 gardening guide was helpful! If you’re on the hunt for more fabulous ways to make your Fort Lauderdale garden the best it can be, stop by Living Color garden center for a visit soon to see what’s new in stock this season!