January Gardening in Central Texas

The cooler weather in January creates perfect conditions for planting trees and shrubs and getting the garden in shape for spring. If you seeded annual wildflowers like cornflower, larkspur, or bluebonnets, you should see them begin to come to life about now. Be able to identify the small plants so you won't confuse them with winter weeds. If you are buying plants instead of seeding native perennial wildflowers such as Coreopsis, Gaillardia, Cutleaf Daisy or Winecup, buy them when they are small, not when they are in bloom, so you will get the most for your dollar. The moisture we now have in the soil should allow you to create a new bed or two to accommodate some native Texas perennials. If you haven't cut back perennials such as salvias, it's time. Salvia greggii stays semi-evergreen and blooms better if sheared back by one-third to get it into shape. Move and transplant shrubs and perennials this month while they are dormant. If you can find snapdragon, dianthus or pansy plants, they can still be planted for color. Don't forget about the beautiful blooming sweet pea vine that can be seeded in January. Don't plant your sweet pea vines next to your snap peas because the pods look similar and sweet peas are poisonous if eaten.

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Herbs such as Lamb's ear, Lemon Balm, Mint, Society Garlic, Rosemary, and Lavender can all be planted now along with Parsley, Thyme, Dill, Cilantro and Oregano. Vegetable plants to plant now are asparagus, beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, Swiss chard, collards, kohlrabi, lettuce, English peas, and radish. It's ok to plant potatoes now, but I prefer to wait a few more weeks. All of these plants will survive the deep freeze that is sure to come before the last average frost date which is March 25. There is a list at the bottom of this page that tells you what vegetable plants to plant each month during January.

This is a great time to get your soil tested. Contact your local extension office and get the information you need to get your soil in great shape for warmer weather ahead. This is true even if you are only growing a lawn. The best reason for a soil test is so you won't add things, especially chemicals, to your soil if you don't need them. Never add sulphur or lime to your soil unless recommended by a soil test. You can do long term damage to your soil. The soils Central Texas can change dramatically over a very short distance. Just because your neighbor adds something to their soil doesn't mean you should. Our soils are so diversified that you may find that the reddest clay is actually very alkaline. Adding too much lime to the already alkaline soil in blackland soil will even kill Bermuda grass. See list of contacts for local county extension offices on this page.

It never hurts to add organic matter like decomposed leaves to any soil whether sand or clay. If you have a compost pile that you've been working on for the past year, now is the time to spread 1-2 inches of compost over your planting beds. Lots of organic matter will help your soil hold moisture and protect the structure of the soil. If you have established beds, don't till them every year. Microbes that live in the top of the soil won't survive being buried 6 inches below the surface, so gently work in any amendments. Also, if you turn clay where you've added organic matter over the last several years, you will hasten the decomposition of the organic matter and the clay will begin to bind together again sooner than if left alone. It's always best to add organic matter instead of gypsum to improve clay soils. Gypsum should be considered a short-term solution for clay soil improvement and not a substitute for organic matter because it can change the Ph of the soil. Remember that adding sand to clay will make cement, as many gardeners find out. Improved sandy soils can be a dream to work in, but don't leave them exposed for long. If you have sandy loam beds you are not using, cover them with a cover crop such as rye grass in the winter or field peas in the summer so the topsoil won't blow or wash away.

January is a good time to build trellises and get your tools and machinery cleaned and oiled. If you have cold frame or greenhouse, you can seed annual flowers or perennials now. Add granulated organic fertilizer to all planting beds at the rate recommended on the package. For pre-emergent weed control in the lawn, January is a good time to add the first application of corn gluten meal at a rate of 20 pounds per 1000 square feet.