January is a time for new beginnings with the spring gardening season, and there are many things we can do now to make this gardening season the best possible.
Have a plan. Think about what worked in last year’s garden. More importantly, think about what did not work. Walk around inside and look out your windows. Do you have a lovely view of trees, shrubs, and flower borders, or are you looking at the neighbor’s storage building? If your view is blocked by a tree or shrub, prune up the limbs so you can see. If you don’t like the view, plant a beautiful native tree or shrub to become a focal point.
Layer on the compost. Compost is called “Gardener’s Gold” and is Mother Nature’s miracle cure for almost everything. Adding a new layer of compost this spring will make your life easier for the rest of the season. Compost feeds the plants and the soil, improves sandy or clay soil, keeps soil temperatures cooler in summer and warmer in winter, makes everything look neat and tidy, keeps most weeds from sprouting, and keeps moisture from evaporating in the Oklahoma heat, drought, and wind.
Dry cold winters kill more plants. This fall and winter have been very dry in Oklahoma and the result of long dry periods during fall and winter is injury or death to parts of a plant’s root systems. Affected plants may appear perfectly normal and resume growth in the spring using stored food energy; however, plants may be weakened and all or parts may die in late spring or summer when temperatures rise. Weakened plants are also more susceptible to insect and disease problems. Help your plants survive by making sure they have enough moisture. Water only when air temperatures are above 40 degrees F. Apply water at mid-day so it will have time to soak in before possibly freezing at night. Make sure plants have been watered well before a freeze. Plants receiving reflected heat from buildings, walls, and fences are more subject to damage. The low angle of the winter sun makes this more likely from south or west exposures. Windy sites also result in faster drying of soil and plants. Newly planted trees are most susceptible to winter drought injury. Woody trees generally take one year to establish for each inch of trunk diameter. For example, a two-inch diameter (caliper) tree takes a minimum of two years to establish under normal conditions. Make sure your shrubs and trees are mulched to retain moisture and regulate soil temperature. Sprinklers do a good job of watering lawns and flowers, but trees and shrubs need deeper soakings. The best way to get water down deep is with a soaker hose or a hose left to trickle and soak in slowly to a depth of 12 to 18 inches. Apply water at many locations under the dripline and beyond (not at the trunk). As a general survival rule, apply 10 gallons of water for each diameter inch of the tree. For example, a two-inch diameter tree needs 20 gallons every time you water. Newly planted shrubs require more water than established shrubs that have been planted for at least one year. In dry winters, all shrubs benefit from winter watering from October through March. New shrubs need about 5 gallons of water every two weeks. Small established shrubs (less than 3 feet tall) need 2 1/2 gallons every two weeks. Large established shrubs (more than 6 feet) need 9 gallons every 2 weeks. Water within the dripline of the shrub. Winter watering is also advisable for perennials you just planted last fall and perennials located in windy or southwest exposures.
TAKE A GARDENING CLASS to learn more about watering and caring for your plants. The best information about which plants grow well in your area and which plants won’t do well at all comes from local gardeners who have learned from experience – that means they have killed a lot of plants. We always learn more from mistakes than successes. The drought the past two summers and extreme cold the last two winters will force all of us to replace plants we lost, move plants around, and add new plants. Unfortunately, this dry cold winter will damage more plants that will need to be replaced or rejuvenated. Betty Sue Tow and I are two of those experienced gardeners – meaning we have killed a lot of plants. We will be teaching Home Gardening & Landscaping at Southern Tech for the spring semester on Monday nights beginning Monday, February 13 through Monday, May 1 at Southern Tech. We would love to have you join us and make some gardening memories. To enroll in Home Gardening & Landscaping, go by or call Southern Tech at (580) 223-2070. Happy New Year and Happy Gardening!