Garden -- January 2016

Now.
Well, not right this minute.
Maybe not even the day you read this post.
But soon.
About the time the male robins come back to start their turf wars, about the middle of the month.
From then until about the middle of February is when you want to prune most shrubs.
Not azalea.  If you didn't prune azalea last June, pruning it now will mean minimal flowers this year.
But privet.  And once the robins have eaten the berries, euonymus.
And so on.
That's when the shrubs are dormant.
So are the insects, especially the stinging kind which are holed up in their nests, the ones who can kill you if you have developed an allergy to their venom.
And the birds haven't started laying eggs yet.
So between 15 January and 30 February is  when you want to prune the short stuff where birds like to put their nests and their eggs and their nestlings, to protect them against predators.
Remember, the people in the countries where migrating birds winter, can only do so much.
If you cut shrubs or trees at the wrong time and chase birds from their nests for spring and summer, you're a danger to the new generation of birds.
Think globally, act locally.

Speaking of acting locally, here's your lawn care program for 2016.
http://wtop.com/garden-plot-living/2016/01/resolve-maintain-healthy-lawn-2016/

© Patricia Jo Heil, 2013-2018 All Rights Reserved