Here’s a gardener’s to-do list for January, 2026 across the United States

Here’s a gardener’s to-do list for January, 2026 across the United States—a quiet month in the garden, yet full of unseen stirring. The soil may sleep, but the gardener plans, sharpens tools, and fans the first sparks of the coming season. Let’s dig in.

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Northeast

• ❄️ Protect Dormant Plants: Check mulch and snow cover around perennials, shrubs, and garlic.

• 🌱 Start Seeds Indoors: Begin onions, leeks, and slow-growing perennials.

• 📚 Plan the Garden: Review what worked, sketch new beds, order seeds early.

• 🧊 Inspect for Damage: Look for frost heave and rodent damage around trunks.

• 🧤 Sharpen and Oil Tools: Prepare pruners, shovels, and hoes for spring action.

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Midwest

• ❄️ Add Mulch: Check insulation around roses, berries, and cold-hardy vegetables.

• 🧄 Inspect Garlic Beds: Make sure mulch hasn’t blown away.

• 🌱 Start Seeds Indoors: Begin slow crops like onions and some herbs.

• 🌾 Prune Trees: On a mild day, shape fruit trees while they’re dormant.

• 📝 Garden Journal: Reflect on past seasons; note successes and failures.

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Southeast

• 🥬 Keep Planting: Sow winter greens like kale, spinach, mustard, and onions.

• 🌼 Add Color: Pansies, violas, snapdragons, and calendula thrive this month.

• 🐞 Pest Patrol: Aphids and slugs are still around—check brassicas and ornamentals.

• ✂️ Prune Deciduous Trees: Do light shaping before spring growth.

• 🍊 Protect Citrus: Cover during freezes and mulch the root zone.

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Southwest

• 🧄 Plant Garlic: Still time in warmer low deserts.

• 🌸 Sow Wildflowers: Scatter poppies, desert marigolds, and larkspur before rains.

• 🧤 Water Wisely: Only water during long dry stretches; avoid soggy soil.

• ✂️ Prune: Shape roses and deciduous fruit trees now.

• 🧹 Tidy Beds: Remove frost-damaged growth and weeds before they spread.

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Pacific Northwest

• 🌧️ Check Drainage: Clear gutters and prevent pooling in low beds.

• 🧄 Mulch Garlic: Keep roots insulated in fluctuating temperatures.

• 🌿 Harvest Herbs: Parsley and thyme may still be green—clip and dry.

• 🧤 Protect Plants: Use cloches or row covers on overwintering greens.

• 📦 Order Seeds Early: Some varieties sell out fast—shop before February.

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Mountain West

• ❄️ Snow Mulch: Light snow is insulation—avoid disturbing frozen beds.

• 🔧 Tool Maintenance: Clean, sharpen, and oil garden gear.

• 🌾 Prune Fruit Trees: Do this on a dry, mild day to prevent disease.

• 📋 Map Out Crops: Plan rotation and bed usage based on last year.

• 🌱 Seed Inventory: Organize what you’ve got and what you need.

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California

• 🥦 Plant Cool Crops: Continue planting broccoli, lettuce, onions, carrots, and beets.

• 🌸 Winter Flowers: Sow sweet peas, Iceland poppies, and violas.

• 🌴 Prune Roses and Vines: Late January is prime for pruning in most zones.

• 💧 Watch for Rain: Turn off irrigation if storms are coming; check drainage.

• 🧤 Mulch Beds: Help retain moisture and suppress winter weeds.

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January may look like a still life in gray and brown—but beneath the mulch, roots are waiting, and above it all, the gardener is scheming. The work now is quiet, thoughtful, and necessary. Spring will come for those who prepare.

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