Our 2026 garden year has started out with plenty of rain to keep the grass green and the redwood trees well-watered. Not so much fun for gardening, however. But pleasant days will return to allow us to get into the garden and play. Here’s what to do this month:
PRUNE: Take time during a break in the weather and begin pruning fruit trees, roses and berry bushes. Be sure to start with clean, sharp pruning tools. Using disinfectant wipes during pruning sessions discourages the spread of diseases and overwintering pests.
FEED CITRUS: Citrus need to be fed regularly if they are to be full with green foliage and fruits. These heavy feeders need nutrients all year long, so fertilizing them this month with a dash of iron along with a 4-4-4 natural fertilizer will keep leaves green and flowers coming in the spring. Slow-release fertilizer spikes also work well. Blood meal is a good natural fertilizer for citrus. It is high in nitrogen and iron. Lemons and mandarins tend to overbear. Thin out fruits when they are size of a marble. It is especially important not to allow young plants to overbear.
PROTECT: So far, our winter weather has been rather wet, but not too cold. Still, make sure you have on hand a blanket of row cover for when the extra frosty winter nights occur. Citrus and young, cool season vegetable starts set out in the garden benefit from this covering when temperatures plunge down to the 20s and low 30s. Row cover also protects greens like spinach and lettuce from getting ruined by hail.
SPRAY: January is when we need to do dormant spraying. Using horticultural oil and/or copper spray is good for smothering overwintering insects, mites and fungal diseases like rust, powdery mildew and black spot. If your roses or fruit trees have had any of these problems last summer then dormant spraying is for you.
PLANT: Check out local nurseries for bare root fruit trees, roses and berries this month and next. Winter is also a good time to plant asparagus, bare root artichoke, strawberries and rhubarb.
MULCH: Weeds have arrived along with the winter rains. Now is the time to take action when it comes to keeping weeds from taking over. If you have not done so already, apply rice straw mulch to bare vegetable beds. Mini bark mulch makes shrub and perennial beds quite attractive, even in the winter. Chipper mulch from the tree service is also good. If you have already applied mulch earlier in the season, now is a good time to rake it about, fluff it up so the soil below can breathe. Some mulches, especially redwood shredded bark, tend to pack down.
Terry Kramer is the retired site manager for the Humboldt Botanical Garden and a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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