10 January Tasks for Mediterranean Gardeners

January 13, 2019 Author: C. Darren Butler Organic Gardening: Vegetables / The Mighty Garden Archive

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Many might think of January as a slow month in the Mediterranean garden, as even in mild Mediterranean climates, January often brings cool, rainy weather. Yet there is much to do in January to prepare plants for their burst of growth when the weather warms in the spring. For a customized list of gardening tasks by plant and month, find your GardenZeus Climate Zone.

Here are 10 tasks all gardeners in Mediterranean climates should have on their January to-do lists:

Monitor plants regularly, at least every 2 to 5 days during cool-to-cold weather to catch wilting, irrigation, pest, disease, weed, and other problems early.
Plant bare-root roses, fruit trees, vines and berries.
Prune roses and deciduous fruit trees.
Protect plants from possible frost: water thoroughly and protect plants with fabric, cardboard, paper, or plastic sheets during periods of overnight frost.
Maintain or add mulch to garden beds.
Harvest citrus trees and winter vegetable crops.
Irrigate variably depending upon rain frequency and volume; turn off irrigation during rainy periods.
Add appropriate amendments and/or organic fertilizers for actively growing and/or blooming plants. Avoid fertilizing dormant plants and trees.
Order seeds for spring annuals and spring and summer vegetables.
Start seeds indoors for later transplant outdoors, such as tomatoes, lettuce, and chard.

GardenZeus recommends seeds from Botanical Interests: