January Ideas, Tips & Guides

Fresh from the excesses of Christmas, and with the urge to turn over a new leaf, now might be a good time to tackle getting the garden ready for the season ahead! If you need to make structural changes, such as building or moving beds, or adding/improving paths, then bright days are useful. But, of course, January tends to be cold and wet, and the short days mean gardening is usually confined to the weekends.

The new year gets gardeners all enthused but it is also a time to show patience. The gnomes wont rush to help you anytime soon Hi-ho.

With snow lying deeply and icicles hanging from many roofs it is strange to be thinking of 2017.

I was reading an old book by Adam the Gardener the Sunday Express tipster and looking at his suggestions for January.

“Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle.” ~Luther Burbank~

Foliage houseplants bring color and life to your home.

Brighten your home with flowering indoor plants. Not only do they add beauty to your home, but they clean the air of toxins, increase the humidity level, and provide oxygen.

Part 1: Garden art adds a unique personality to a garden from traditional to quirky designs.

Part 2: Art in the Garden-Add some interest to your landscape.

Rob Last reports, “Strawberry crops in the area are looking good with good crown development. We are seeing open flowers and some fruit set based on warmer conditions. These crops are cause for some concern as we are likely to see damage from forecast cold snaps. There is evidence of botrytis (gray mold) in crops on cold damaged flowers and fruit. Sanitation can really help to mitigate the spread of the disease. Spider mites remain active and in places are requiring treatment. Remember to avoid pyrethroids for mite control as these can flare mite populations.”

Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and is off to a good start in 2021. We have several virtual grower meetings coming up over the next two months, so keep an eye on the “Upcoming Events” page for info. Also, don’t forget the Southeastern Regional Fruit and Vegetable conference kicks off virtually this week, and it’s not too late to register.

Here are some more favorite plants of Clemson Extension Horticulture Agents.

Dr. Matt Cutulle reports, “Burndown herbicide efficacy can be reduced in colder weather, especially systemic products such as glyphosate (Reduced translocation in the cold means herbicide does not move through the plant as much).”

Rob Last reports, “Vegetable crops are growing out of the impacts of frost well. There is active Alternaria in places on brassica crops. Insect activity in vegetable crops in the area remains low. Strawberry crops are moving well, with a few spider mites and aphids being observed. Remember, if mite treatment is needed, use a specific miticide to target the pest to avoid flaring populations. If you need a second pair of eyes to help scout, then please give me a shout.”

The Incredible World of Orchids~Part 1

Rob Last reports, “In our area, crops are developing well with few pest or disease issues currently. Some brassicas are displaying a reddening to the older leaves associated with reduced phosphorous uptake. Phosphorous uptake can be reduced in cold temperatures but will recover when we see some warmer temperatures. There is no response to an additional application. Where strawberries are flowering or have fruit, it is advisable to remove those to minimize sources of Botrytis gray mold for later in the year.”

A Winter’s Stroll in the Garden

The Incredible World of Orchids~Part 2

Rob Last reports, “Pest and disease issues in the area remain very low; however, as temperatures rise, we expect activity to increase.  Although it is quiet, it is still essential to continue to scout. Assessment of crops indicates that we have escaped the worst of any chill injury or loss of plants. Pruning of fruit crops continues while dormancy holds and labor begins to return to the area.”

Brighten Up Your Home with Houseplants Part 1

“Snow Scenes from Winter Storm Izzy”

Aren’t you glad you get to experience the spectacular natural beauty of South Carolina?

Tom Bilbo reports, “When spider mites first invade and establish in fields, they will be distributed in a series of clustered hot spots, usually near field borders, especially near a dusty road. Two-spotted spider mites can develop at temperatures >50F, so the warm weather in the Lowcountry is allowing spider mites to reproduce and lay eggs. The current pre-harvest threshold for spraying an acaricide is when you see at least 5 mites/leaflet. This count is an average determined from collecting at least 10 leaflets (mid-tier on the plant) per acre, collected randomly throughout each acre. Check back next week for guidance on conserving/releasing predatory mites.”

Revisit some of Barbara Smith’s favorite insect and spider photos, Part 1

The Weekly Field Updates are back for 2023! We hope everyone had a great holiday season and is off to a good start this year. We have lots of fruit and vegetable meetings over the next couple of months, so check out the Upcoming Events tab for the complete lineup. This week there will be a Cut Flower Grower Meetup in Columbia on 1/18.

Revisit some of Barbara Smith’s favorite insect and spider photos, Part 2

Rob Last reports, “Crops are benefiting from the recent warmer weather, with new leaves pushing out on strawberries and buds beginning to break in other crops. Following the rainfall over the weekend, the disease may start to be an issue, particularly in frost affected plants. The key will be to continue to scout often to monitor any changes to the crops.

Perennials Native to South Carolina, Part 1

WITH A NEW BOOK TO SHARE, my traditional winter event season kicks off with extra vigor—just as I hope the garden will in its time. I’ll be in Darien, Connecticut (January 8th); Madison, Connecticut (the 19th); Millerton, New York (the 20th); Manchester, Vermont (the 26th); Cohasset, Massachusetts (the 27th) and Newton Highlands, Massachusetts (the 30th).

But planning for these and other key activities that form the lead-up to another active garden season are what the January chores are all about. Planning—and some dreaming, too, in the pages of the catalogs, but seasoned with lots of patience.It’s always good to pause on the cusp of the new year, and try to put some words to what will be the focus, or adjustments, in the garden ahead.“Dig in.” That was the promise I made to myself one recent New Year, and my garden mandate, too. I’d sworn to finally tackle the long-neglected, oldest parts of the garden, right in front of the house. But the forces of nature

In the Garden In the Greenhouse

Dark, damp, depressing, just the weather to escape into the greenhouse. Not got a greenhouse then get your skates on this is the time to start the horticultural year. Seeds, cuttings, bulbs, all can be started over the next few weeks, they may need some encouragement with a heated propagating frame, or some encouragement with heated bench cables or even a free standing heater but an early start will reap huge results and put you in the right position to have your plants ready for Spring. If that not enough then here’s four more reasons to buy a greenhouse. Don’t delay start today. The following

These Best January Birth Flowers are exactly what you are looking for so you understand what blossoms represent you and their special meanings.

Keeping the trend of bringing you the best balcony pictures uploaded on Instagram from around the world alive, here are the best Balcony Garden Pictures of January 2021!

The garden is quiet. In my mind’s eye, January is a dark, wet and bare month. However, I have learned that when you look or when you build a relationship with nature (as we do as gardeners) the reality is there is some colour to be found in the middle of winter and there is always life.

Feast your eyes on these beautiful Balcony Gardens of January 2022 from Instagram and get inspired to transform the open space in your apartment!