NOW THAT THE NEW YEAR has arrived, it’s time to make some plant and garden resolutions that will add life to your outdoor space. Here are the gardening tips for January to get your lawn and garden started off the right way.
One of the first things to do is fertilize Bermuda grass and lawns overseeded with rye grass. It’s also important to feed lilies and other bulbous plants.
Now is the time to check your peach trees for white peach scale. Spray peach trees every 10 days from “pink bud stage” until one week before harvest with combination fungicide and insecticide, such as Fertilome’s Fruit Spray. Taking this measure will prevent blossom blight, brown rot, and worms in fruit.
While most of your plants are now dormant, pruning and trimming is a must. Annuals bloom more and longer if old blossoms are picked off and bouquets are cut promptly for home. Now is the ideal time to prune or transplant your trees and shrubs.
An important reminder is to watch out for termites. They can swarm on warm and humid days during January. Call an exterminator if any are seen.
While kicking off the New Year, make sure you continue to feed vegetables and annual flowers lightly every two weeks.
CREDIT
column by WILLIAM “BILL” DOTY
BIO: William R. “Bill” Doty is owner of Doty Farm and Garden Supply, Inc., founded in Winter Haven in 1954. Bill graduated from Winter Haven High School and Florida State University. Growing up, he learned valuable lessons in listening and asking questions and was a student of the family business. Bill shares his knowledge with his customers daily and with readers of Central Florida Ag News monthly.
