January Green Tips
Landscape
- Avoid walking on flowerbeds, especially when soil is wet, to avoid compaction.
- Apply a second coat of anti-desiccant to keep broad-leafed evergreens from being damaged by winter wind.
- Take cuttings of deciduous trees and shrubs such as viburnum and hydrangea. Root the cuttings in perlite or vermiculite in a coldframe or other outside protected site.
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Lawn
- Avoid walking on frosty or frozen turf areas. Foot traffic can damage the grass plants, fostering bare spots or diseases.
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Indoor
- Remove dust from the leaves of houseplants by gently wiping with a damp cloth, or by giving plants a gentle shower in the sink or tub with warm water.
- Group houseplants together to increase the humidity around the plants. Avoid placing houseplants near drying heat ducts.
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Vegetables
- Begin plans for starting vegetables , and select disease - resistant varieties when purchasing seeds.
- Avoid adding wood ashes to the garden unless soil test results indicate that the soil is too acidic (fat chance in Cincinnati!) use only when below pH of 6.2.
- Start onion sets, cabbage, cauliflower and lettuce indoors now. Sign up for CGC's seed starting class.
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Forcing Plants
- Purchased Lily-of-the-Valley pips will bloom in three weeks if planted in a shallow container and kept in a warm room the first week.
- Bring amaryllis Amaryllis out of dormancy by watering and locating in bright area to have blossoms for Valentine's Day.
- Cut branches of flowering shrubs such as lilac, forsythia Lilac, Forsythia and fruit trees for forcing indoors. Soak two hours in warm water for earliest bloom.
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Eco-Tip
- Use sand or birdseed for traction on icy sidewalks.
- Many of the de-icing salts will damage lawns and ornamental plants.
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