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Mild winter days give us perfect weather for pruning deciduous shrubs and trees. Do not cut heavily into any of the spring blooming plants such as forsythia now, because pruning will reduce the quantity of eventual bloom. Spring shrubs are generally pruned during or after their bloom.
But if temperatures continue above freezing, cut a few branches of winter-blooming cherry (Prunus autumnalis), forsythia, and viburnum ( V. bodnantense 'Dawn') for flowers indoors. Immerse the stems in tepid water and let them stand overnight before arranging the branches. In January, there's pleasure in watching one cherry blossom unfold. Summer gardens toss abundant flowers at us, but scarcity in winter gives time for close observation of a few cherished blooms.
Wander through a nursery finding new winter bloomers to add to the garden. One of my favorites is Daphne odora 'Marginata', an early February bloomer with soft pink scented flowers that combine the fragrances of citrus and jasmine. This daphne thrives in part shade and requires no extra summer irrigation.
If the soil in your garden isn't saturated and soppy, January's a fine month to transplant. Wet, saturated ground can't be used for planting, cultivating, or digging. What until it drains a bit. If you can work the ground, use some time for moving deciduous shrubs and trees. Winter installation gives them time to become established before growth begins.
Plants in containers can be added to the garden almost any time. For more information on planting and transplanting, WSU EB 1505 has helpful information and photos of the best way to install plants from containers, including techniques for clipping roots to prevent constriction once the plant begins to grow.
Proper planting technique can mean the difference between life and death for a plant. Sometimes poor growth on trees and shrubs results from roots that grew in circles at the bottom of containers. If these are planted just as they grew in the container, the plant can actually choke from root problems.
One example we've seen brought into our offices is a dead pine; all of 12 years old and dead. The roots were so contorted that the plant still fit into a one-gallon can, exactly as it was when planted. Plants are tough and can survive a lot of difficulties, but kinked roots can kill. "Tease" out circling roots and trim off the worst ones, allowing the plant to produce new healthy roots.
Many native plants look terrific in the winter garden. Mahonias, particularly some of the cultivated types such as Mahonia aquifolium 'Arthur Menzies' are showy when in early season yellow flower, but also have splendid evergreen foliage year-round.
Give the fruit garden some attention. Early warmth during December swelled buds on many fruit trees, and it's especially necessary to look at the peach trees. If the peach has been suffering from peach leaf curl, treatment is needed right now. Peach leaf curl is a fungal disease that deforms the leaves as they open and can severely restrict the fruit production. The fungus lives during winter on and under the scales of the leaf buds, and grows as the leaves open. Fungicides to manage peach leaf curl must be timed to get on the buds before they begin to open. Fungicides suggested by Washington State University for peach leaf curl include lime sulfur and fixed copper, such as Microcop (with a spreader-sticker like Sta-Stuk-M). Apply the selected fungicide 3 times, applications 3 weeks apart. Read the label. If treatment is started too late, after the buds expand, it's ineffective.
If fruit trees have summer insect infestations such as scale (turtle-like bumps on the branches and twigs), or aphids (sucking insects that attack leaves), consider using a dormant spray. The word "dormant" refers to the tree's situation, when it's not actively producing blooms and leaves. (WSU specialists suggest a superior-type horticultural oil plus lime sulfur.) Aphids live through the winter as eggs tucked into bark, and the oil smothers those eggs, reducing the number that hatch for spring. Check and follow the label exactly when using any pesticide.
Dormant sprays do not work for control of diseases such as apple scab, or brown rot on stone fruit. Check our Tree Fruit section for more information on fruit tree disease control.
If the weather is so unappealing that it repels your gardening work, start a garden journal. Looseleaf notebooks can hold notes on weather, planting dates, seeds tried, and crops or bouquets harvested. I use lined paper that looks fine smeared with mud or torn by wind! My mother's garden journals, which I inherited at her death, bring her close to me even now, because her daily activities and comments carry her personality. If you keep a journal, you may please a future generation!
