January: What to do in your garden

~ Information compiled by Santos Flores, community gardener at Briggs Avenue Community Garden, from the book Month by Month: Gardening in the Carolinas by Bob Plomski

Its January here in Durham and its a bit warm and wet outside. What can you do, if anything at all, in the Briggs garden?

Planning
Intensive gardening can be accomplished in a number a number of ways to increase production from a limited space. Our raised beds are great for taking advantage of the soil depth. Consider "square-foot gardening," where the bed is divided into square blocks. Each plant or seed is planted in the center of each square.

Another intensive gardening approach is vertical gardening, which exploits the air space above the bed. Vining and sprawling plants such as cucumbers, melons, indeterminate tomatoes, and pole beans can be supported with trellises, nets, strings, or poles. Since they occupy little garden space the

remaining space can be planted with low-growing vegetables.

Planting and Transplanting
Some gardeners grow their seedlings indoor in the bright direct light of a south facing window, greenhouse, or sunporch. Others prefer the outdoors, using a cold frame. In the milder areas of the Piedmont and Coastal Plain, gardeners can move their seedlings outdoors during the day to expose them to full sunlight. Be aware that you will have to contend with some cloudy, overcast days. Instead of relying on sunlight, you can buy or build an artificial light stand and grow your seedlings under lights.

A need for the Briggs garden is to organize our seed packets so that they follow a sowing schedule. Also, a step-by-step information guide on producing transplant from seed indoors to get a jump on the growing season.

Piedmont gardeners can sow seeds of broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower indoors for transplanting within six to eight weeks. Head and leaf lettuce can be set out four to six weeks after sowing. Piedmont gardeners can also wait until next month before starting these vegetables.

Fertilizing

Fertilize seedlings growing in soil-less mixes when the first true leaves appear.

Care for your Herb and Vegetables

Continue harvesting carrots, radishes, and turnips. Lettuce and spinach growing in a cold frame or under the protection of a fabric row cover or plastic tunnel can also be picked.  

Pest Control

Diseases: "Damping off" is a serious disease that attacks and kills seeds and seedlings. It especially attacks weak seedlings when growing conditions are unfavorable. Over watering, lack of drainage, poor ventilation, and crowding can foster an attack. With seedlings, the stem rots at or close to the soil surface. This is mainly caused by the fungi present i the seed-starting medium.

"Damping off" is easier to prevent than cure. Use clean containers. If necessary, disinfect them with a 10 percent bleach solution (1 part bleach to 9 parts water).

Use a sterile, well-drained medium. Provide good conditions for rapid seed germination and development. Avoid water logging the medium when watering. Damping-off can be reduced by cutting back the frequency of watering and increasing the amount of light.