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January Garden Tips

Hello Friends, Neighbors, Fellow Gardeners,

Happy New Year!  Hope you enjoyed the holidays! Here are some garden tips, educational opportunities, and events for January. Events include Winter Birding, Master Naturalist Spring 2018 Training (Applications due January 15th), Winter Crystals, Weed Warrior Workday at Lake Frank, Introduction to eBird, Brookside Gardens Winter Tour, January Mill Creek Towne Garden Club Meeting Topic: Gardening for Wildlife, 13th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, Green Matter Symposium (Early Bird special ends January 12!), and more!

Planning:

  • Need help with your New Year’s resolutions?  Check this article with 12 New Year’s Resolutions for Gardeners for some ideas. | Horticulture Magazine
  • Evaluate gardening year and make notes of desired changes.
  • Start reading those plant catalogs! If you want a street tree, pick one under 20-30 feet if you have overhead power lines.
  • Decide where your plants are going in your garden.
  • Order/buy those seeds!
  • Collect supplies for starting seeds.
  • Sharpen and replace tools as needed.
  • Paint a few terra cotta pots in spring-like colors.
  • When planning your wildlife-friendly backyard don’t forget to include native trees and shrubs that produce fall and winter persistent fruits.
  • Start collecting plant seeds for trading.seed packets with border
  • Collect large plastic soda bottles to use as cloches. (A cloche is a clear, bell-shaped cover used to protect tender plants from frost.)
  • Have a question about gardening? Check the University of Maryland Extension’s New Maryland Grows blog for garden tips.
  • Support our local farmers! Visit a local farmers’ market near you. Download Montgomery County’s Office of Agriculture Farmer’s Market Flyer to find a farmer’s market near you.

Flowers and Groundcovers:

  • Plant the bulbs you forgot to plant last fall!
  • Do not step on frozen soil in flower beds or lawns.
  • Start seeds for Petunia and Dwarf Snapdragons in the third/fourth week in January. Check daily for moisture.
  • Prune summer bloomers such as Hydrangeas, Rose of Sharon, Crape Myrtles, and Butterfly Bushes.
  • Use leftover holiday greens and cut-up tree branches to mulch beds and create windbreaks.
  • Pot up any leftover bulbs that did not make it into the ground by now and force them for indoor blooms.
  • Hand-pull visible weeds. Look for fast-growing vines such as honeysuckle, autumn clematis, bittersweet, wild grape, Virginia creeper, and poison ivy.
  • Check on stored summer bulbs and seeds. Discard any that have rotted.
  • Clean out your greenhouse and wash those windows.
  • Start hardy pansies and perennials.grow-lights
  • In the dark of winter you may be wondering about grow lights. Here is a concise guide to grow lights — their types and how they differ from normal room lighting.
  • Pests to watch for: voles

 

Trees and Shrubs:

  • Prune damaged branches.
  • Remove bagworm bags.
  • Gently brush snow from evergreen shrubs.
  • Remove dead and dying trees.
  • Check that newly planted trees, shrubs, and perennials have not been heaved out of the ground due to freezing and thawing cycles.
  • Cut a few branches of flowering shrubs to force into bloom inside.
  • Take hardwood cuttings from willow and dogwood to propagate them.evergreens
  • Root prune trees and shrubs to be transplanted next year.
  • Set out your live-potted evergreens  from holiday decorating in a protected outdoor space to harden then off in advance of planting them.
  • If we do get more snow in the DC area, gently dislodge snow from trees and shrubs with a broom to prevent damage to the branches.
  • Plant frost-tolerant trees.
  • Water slowly and deeply if weather is very dry.
  • Prune out Fireblight damage Malus and Pyrus when very cold.
  • Mulch or compost healthy leaves.
  • Prune and thin shrubs that have already flowered.
  • Water newly planted trees and shrubs weekly or as needed.
  • Pests to watch for:  Deer.
  • Diseases to watch for: Fireblight, Phomospsis and Kabatina of Juniper, Diplodia tip blight of 2 & 3 needled pines.
  • See HGIC’s January Trees and Shrubs Tips for more details.

Herbs, Veggies, and Fruit:

  • Cover garlic plants with straw or leaf mulch.
  • Cover garden beds with shredded leaves to minimize soil erosion.
  • Prune dead bramble canes.
  • Clean out your cold frame or build a new one.growing seeds photo
  • Insulate outdoor containers by wrapping with bubble wrap or landscape fabric.
  • Clean and tidy up pots and seed trays to get a good start in February.
  • Start hardy herbs, onions, cabbage.
  • Look for evidence of pest or fungal damage throughout your garden.
  • Protect fig trees from freezing by piling up leaves around them.
  • Prune out Fireblight damage on apples and pears when very cold.
  • This is a good time to have your vegetable garden and landscape soils tested.
  • Preserve gourds and dry flowers for display in the fall.
  • Watch for insect and disease problems throughout your garden.
  • Pests to watch for: asparagus beetle, aphids, cabbage worms, corn earworm, and cutworms
  • Diseases to watch for: Fungal, bacterial, viral diseases
  • Here are some more fruit and vegetable gardening tips for December from UMD’s HGIC.

Lawns:

  • Shovel walks and drive before applying ice melt or you will damage your lawn.
  • Use de-icer sparingly or a nonchemical substitute such as sand, grit, fireplace ashes, or non-clumping kitty litter.
  • Do not step on frozen soil in lawns.
  • The annual soil science calendars from the Natural Resources Conservation Service are both educational and beautifully done. The one for 2018 as well as those for previous years are available as free PDFs here: soil-planner-calendar2018https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/soils/edu/?cid=nrcseprd1250008
  • Build a compost bin.
  • Have soil tested (every 3 years minimum).
  • Get your lawn mower serviced.
  • Diseases to watch for: brown patch, and red thread
  • Pests to watch for: Grubs
  • See HGIC’s January Lawn Tips for more details.

Indoors/Houseplants:

  • Buy a few new houseplants.
  • Fertilize your winter-blooming houseplants, such as violets.
  • Change water in cuttings started last fall and add 2–3 pieces of fish tank charcoal.
  • Pinch back leggy plants.violet-web
  • Maintain moisture in pots wintering indoors, but do not over water!
  • Cut off the flower stalk on your amaryllis once flowers fade. Leave foliage to grow.
  • Keep poinsettias in a well-lit area—but out of direct sun and away from drafts.
  • Keep all houseplants out of drafts and away from heat vents.
  • Clean the leaves of your indoor houseplants to prevent dust and film to build-up.
  • Set up a humidifier for indoor plants or at least place them in pebble trays.
  • Reduce fertilizing of indoor plants (except cyclamen).
  • Rotate houseplants to promote even growth.
  • Remove old leaves, damaged stems.
  • Fertilize houseplants now that they are actively growing again.
  • Repot root-bound houseplants and start fertilizing them.
  • Pests to watch for:  aphids, spider mites, scale, and  whitefly
  • See HGIC’s December Houseplants Tips for more tips.

Indoor/Outdoor Insect and Wildlife Tips:

  • Clean and refill bird feeders.
  • Wash and refill the bird bath or set out a shallow bowl of water in icy weather.
  • Vacuum up any ladybugs that come in the house.winter birds and feeder
  • Don’t put your birdbath away. Birds need fresh water for drinking and bathing throughout the fall season. Clean frequently and keep filled with fresh water.
  • Check for vole problems and set up traps.
  • Switch your deer deterrent spray.
  • See HGIC’s January Insect Tips for more details.
  • Watch for: carpenter ants, flies, stink bugs, termites, rabbits, raccoons, groundhogs, deer, moles, snakes, squirrels, and voles.
  • For more information on wildlife management and attracting wildlife see HGIC’s January Wildlife tips.

Source: University of Maryland’s Home and Garden Information Center (HGIC) and the Washington Gardener.

Please Support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club

Hello Friends, Neighbors,

Happy New Year Spring 1989 MCTGC members at Roslyn entrance

Please support the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club! Your donations will help us continue to provide garden-related programs to the community and pay for maintaining and landscaping the Mill Creek Towne main entrances.

https://www.mctgardenclub.org/donations/

We accept donations throughout the year. Thanks to all of you that have recently donated as well as those of you who have supported us in the past years! Thanks for your continued support of the Mill Creek Towne Garden Club and our community programs!

Mill Creek Towne Garden Club – Derwood, Maryland
https://www.mctgardenclub.org | info@mctgardenclub.org | Like us on Facebook

January

See below for upcoming local events in January.

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Montgomery Parks Special Events & Festivals

More events are being added regularly. Please check back often!

Save the dates for these upcoming events!   Events include Winter Birding, Master Naturalist Spring 2018 Training (Applications due January 15th), Winter Crystals, Weed Warrior Workday at Lake Frank, Introduction to eBird, Brookside Gardens Winter Tour, January Mill Creek Towne Garden Club Meeting Topic: Gardening for Wildlife, 13th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange, Green Matter Symposium (Early Bird special ends January 12!), and more!

Master Gardener Plant Clinics

Varied Locations, dates, and times

What can Master Gardeners do for you?Montgomery County Master Gardeners logo

  • Help you select and care for annual and perennial plants, shrubs and trees.
  • Determine if you need to test your soil.
  • Provide you with information on lawn care.
  • Identify weeds, beneficial and noxious insects, and plant diseases and remedies.
  • Teach you how to use pesticides, mulch and compost.
  • Guide you in pruning trees and shrubs.
  • Provide you with options for managing wildlife.
  • Provide you with gardening resources.
  • Help you submit a plant sample for diagnosis

Plant Clinics are held at several sites in the county on a weekly basis and at special events such as garden festivals and the county fair. Regularly scheduled Plant Clinics are located at public libraries and farmers’ markets throughout the county as well as at the Audubon Naturalist Society in Chevy Chase.  There are also clinics three days per week at Brookside Gardens.  The busiest season is April through September, but some clinics are open year-round.  Bring your plant samples and questions to one of these locations in Montgomery County, MD (see link below to find a location near you):

http://extension.umd.edu/mg/locations/plant-clinics

Winter Birding

Sat. January 6th, 2018 and

Sat. January 27th, 2018
9:00am to 10:30ambird-in-tree
Meadowside Nature Center
5100 Meadowside Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20855

 

Come join us at Meadowside Nature Center to look for the birds that stay over winter with us and learn about the challenges these species face during this time. This guided bird walk will end with a cup of hot chocolate. Beginners welcome; bring your binocular or borrow ours.

Intended for ages 8&up

This event will be held at Meadowside Nature Center

Register (January 6th)

Register (January 27th)

Winter Crystals

Sat. January 13th, 2018 real-snowflakes

2:00pm to 4:00pm

 

Learn about ice crystals and rock crystals and how they’re similar and different. See some of the beautiful, rarely displayed, crystals from our collection in this Free Program. Visit anytime between 2 and 4 to enjoy this sparkly program.

Intended for ages 2&up

This event will be held at Brookside Nature Center

Register

Weed Warrior Workday at Lake Frank in Rock Creek Regional Park – MLK Day of Service

Mon. January 15th, 2018 weed-warrior

10:00am to 12:30pm

 

Join Weed Warrior Supervisor Michelle Wenisch for an invasive plant removal workday at Lake Frank in Rock Creek Regional Park in Derwood on the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service.

Please wear long pants, long sleeves, and sturdy, closed-toed shoes. Bring gloves, pruners, and loppers if you have them. Gloves and tools are available to borrow if you don’t have your own. No power tools allowed.

This workday is pre-approved for MCPS SSL hours. Volunteers under 16 are not permitted to use tools, so if you are under 16, please email the Weed Warrior supervisor ahead of time to see whether they will have meaningful work for you do to.  Volunteers 14 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult.

For meeting location and to sign-up, contact Michelle at 301-412-4204 or michellewenisch@juno.com

To learn more about the Weed Warrior program, go to www.WeedWarrior.org

This project is part of Montgomery Parks MLK Day of Service – more info on the Winter Volunteer Events page.

This event will be held at Rock Creek Regional Park

Introduction to eBird

Sat. January 20th, 2018 eBird_results_Merlin

9:30am to 11:00am

5100 Meadowside Lane
Rockville, Maryland 20855

 

eBird is a great tool to help you organize all your bird observations, and learn about all the birds that are around you. Join an online community of citizen scientists and share your observations while helping to conserve birds! Bring your cell phone or tablet and learn to use the eBird app and website to record the birds you see during a short birding hike at Meadowside Nature Center.

Intended for ages 13&up

This event will be held at Meadowside Nature Center

Register 

1800 Glenallan Avenue
Wheaton, MD 20902

Phil Normandy / Brookside Gardens Staff Winter’s advent brings on a whole new dimension to the gardens usually overlooked by visitors. Enjoy this walking tour with Phil Normandy where you’ll see what makes up the ‘bones of the garden’ without the distraction of leaves or flowers. You’ll appreciate the architectural elements of evergreens and woody plants in addition to how hardscapes shape the gardens.

FOBG: $6 *

Meet at the Visitor Center entrance

Intended for ages 18&up
Register                                    

This winter, to help us create wildlife-friendly habitats, our January program will be on “Gardening for Wildlife”, presented by Susan Bell, Master Gardener. We hope you can join us.  Below are the meeting details.Jan232018 mctgc meeting topic garden for wildlife talk

Date:  Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Time:  7:30 p.m.
Location:  Mill Creek Towne Elementary School Teacher’s Lounge
17700 Park Mill Dr.
Derwood, MD 20855
Speaker:  Susan Bell
Topic: Gardening for Wildlife
Hostess:  Heather Whirley

NOTE: If Montgomery County Schools are closed due to inclement weather, the Garden Club meeting will be cancelled.

Susan Bellsusan-bell

In 2002, Susan Bell followed a life-long passion for gardening to become a licensed landscape contractor. She has helped hundreds of homeowners envision, create and install the gardens they always wanted. Additionally she helps by providing hand pruning and seasonal maintenance services to keep gardens healthy and in tip-top shape. As a Master Gardener speaker, Susan develops design and garden maintenance presentations to pass on knowledge gained through years of hands on experience.

 

13th Annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange

Saturday, January 27, 2018

12:30pm–4:00pm Seed_Exchange-photo

Brookside Gardens
1800 Glenallan Ave.
Wheaton, MD 20902

Washington Gardener magazine, the publication for DC-area gardening enthusiasts, is hosting the 13th annual Washington Gardener Seed Exchange at Brookside Gardens and Green Spring Gardens. These seed swaps are in-person and face-to-face. You bring your extra seeds and swap them with other gardeners. Everyone will leave with a bag full of seeds, new garden friends, and expert planting advice.

Join us for:

  • Seed Swapping
  • Door Prizes
  • Planting Tips
  • Expert Speakers
  • Goody Bags
  • Make-it Take-It Seed Crafting Table

The registration fee is $20.00 per person ($15.00 for Friends of Brookside Gardens, Friends of Green Spring Gardens – FROGS, and Washington Gardener Magazine subscribers.)

Registration is now open at:
WGSeedExchange-BrooksideG.brownpapertickets.com

 

Tip-Tapping Maple Trees

Sat. January 27th, 2018

2:00pm to 3:00pm

1400 Glenallan Ave.maple_sugaring_days
Wheaton, Maryland 20902

 

Help us start our collecting sap that will become maple syrup by identifying suitable maple trees, drilling holes and setting up collecting buckets. This is a free, family friendly program, but you’ll have to return later in February to learn the rest of this sweet story.

Intended for All Ages

This event will be held at Brookside Nature Center

Register 

February

Green Matter Symposium

Friday, February 23, 2018
8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.Green-Matters-2017-Crowd-Shot

Silver Spring Civic Building
1 Veterans Place
Silver Spring, MD 20910

 
Early Bird special ends January 12!
The symposium will offer practical strategies to heal our damaged urban landscapes. Presentations will outline how we can design and maintain our landscapes in ways that prevent harm to existing ecosystems AND regenerate the environment.
 
Dr. Timothy Beatley, co-founder of the Biophilic Cities Network initiative and professor of Sustainable Communities at the University of Virginia will give the keynote on reducing the ecological footprint of urban development. Attendees will also hear from award-winning author Jeff Lowenfels who wrote the definitive gardener’s guide to the soil food web. Heather Holm, a national leader on saving our native bee population, will discuss ways to increase biodiversity in our gardens. We’ll close the event by looking at case studies from SCAPE, a leader in creating ecological designs that integrate natural systems within urban landscapes. 
 

Registration Information 

Early Bird Fee: $85 p/person until January 12, 2018

Standard Fee:   $99 p/person after January 13, 2018

Register at ActiveMONTGOMERY.org (Course #40522) or call 301-962-1451.

*Registration includes light breakfast, coffee/tea, and box lunch

For more information and to register online, please visit here. 

2018 Spring Conference

February 24, 2018Pink Iris
(Snow date is March 3, 2018)

University of Maryland Extension Montgomery County Office
Agricultural History Farm Park
18410 Muncaster Rd,
Derwood, MD 20855

Save the date for the Annual Spring Gardening Conference! The Montgomery County Master Gardener Spring Gardening Conference is scheduled for February 24, 2018. (Snow date is March 3, 2018).  The daylong event offers multiple presentations, morning snacks, a delicious bag lunch, door prizes, networking with other gardeners, answers to your gardening questions, handouts, and reference materials. Participants can attend three of nine concurrent presentations, and a Lunch & Learn session, all taught by Master Gardeners.