I Garden in Zone 7a, and These 7 January Tasks Set Up my Entire Gardening Season – I Never Skip Them

January in USDA Hardiness Zone 7a can feel like gardening limbo. The holidays are over, the landscape and wildlife are relatively quiet, and spring feels impossibly far away. After years of gardening in this zone, however, I’ve learned that January is not a time to sit totally still. Instead, it’s a time to set myself and my garden up for an easier start to the growing season.

The work I do now, when the soil is mostly resting and my pace can be thoughtful, pays off in bushels and blooms once the growing season begins. The bare trees and shrubs reveal trimming tasks. An empty patch is a veggie garden waiting to be mapped. A wintry weekend is time well spent with cleaning and maintenance.

In fact, it is not too early to sow vegetables. And yes, you really can sow flower seeds in January, too. Sowing indoors is one of the seven garden and yard tasks I commit to in January for a strong spring start.

Walk the Garden

Before taking action, I walk my hardiness zone 7 gardens and property slowly. I have foundation plantings and a decorative perennial bed in front, a shared hedge to the west, some rear porch space for pots and a vegetable garden in the back.

I check how the driveway drains toward some lawn, noting that might need addressing next season. I look at the shapes of my planting beds; have the plantings grown too large and should I expand them? I check for damage to trees after a winter storm.

January’s bare bones landscape reveals structural truths you can’t see in July. With foliage gone, it’s easier to spot erosion in beds, see where water collects, notice compacted soil and the integrity of fences, raised beds and other hardscaping.

Observing now allows me to put items on my seasonal to-do list – some can be addressed in winter, others can be tackled when the weather warms – so I’m not scrambling to fix during the planting season.

You can keep track of your gardening tasks, planting dates and growing notes in this garden planner and log book I found on Amazon. I like its straightforward and intuitive organization and its plentiful spaces to write.

Prune Dormant Trees and Shrubs

Back to what I can do on that observation-driven list: I tackle what needs some pruning. I look for crossing branches, dead wood and excess growth.

January is prime time in Zone 7a for pruning many deciduous trees and shrubs, as long as temperatures are above freezing and storms aren’t imminent.

In fact, last January I had a professional arborist remove several dead and dying trees from the property, as well as trim the various crab apples, wisteria, lilacs and honeysuckles that make up the hedge I share with my neighbor.

Trees and shrubs are dormant this time of year, so pruning causes less stress. Also, few pests and diseases are present in winter and cannot take advantage of healing tree wounds.

Of course, I don’t dare touch my spring-blooming shrubs such as the forsythia and lilac (unless they are obstructing a driveway, for instance) to avoid removing plumes of flowering branches. Roses and vines such as grapes benefit from a trim, too.

Trimming is made easy with this pruning saw from Fiskars sold at Home Depot. Its folding blade locks in two different positions for both overhand and underhand cuts, making it convenient for any pruning task.

Refresh Garden Beds

Seems early in the season to topdress, doesn’t it? It's not! Even if the ground is too cold or wet to dig, I top-dress the beds that I couldn’t to attend to in fall. Soil biology doesn’t shut down completely in winter.

Adding compost, shredded leaves, or even some well-aged manure gives microbes time to incorporate organic matter before planting and emerging spring growth. The added layer will also help to insulate the ground and roots of perennials from the worst of February’s freezes.

The result of my winter effort? My springtime soil is looser, richer and better able to hold moisture and nutrients, saving me work and improving plant health.

A garden rake such as this long handle bow rake from Walmart helps to spread the extra mulch under shrubs and into hard-to-reach places. Fiberglass makes it light; less than 3 lbs. The length gives you extra reach, helping you get the job done quickly.

Start Fighting Weeds Early

My January layer of compost or leaf mulch is also my secret weapon against weeds. While most people wait until they see weeds to remove them, I focus on preventing them in the first place.

Many weed seeds germinate as soon as soil temperatures creep up. A warm and sunny day in February and March can get those weed seeds germinating. A winter layer of mulch blocks light before that happens. Fewer weeds in spring means less time weeding and more time planting.

And if I do find weeds or other debris in my yard, these collapsible plastic buckets from Amazon can hold anything I find. Bonus points for its collapsibility as it saves space in the garden shed.

Prepare Tools, Containers and Potting Soil

January isn’t without its snowy downtimes here in Zone 7a. That’s when I spend some time in my basement cleaning my tools and containers. I scrub off dirt from my tools’ wooden handles and metal blades, and I’ll do the same for the caked-on debris in empty containers and planters.

I sharpen the tools, wipe them with a 10% bleach solution to kill lingering microbes, and wipe down with oil on both their metal and wooden surfaces.

I’ll bathe containers in a 10% bleach solution, too, giving me a chance to inspect for cracks and proper drainage. If time permits, I’ll even prep the containers with potting soil so I am ready to get growing when the weather and timing are right.

A brush such as the Warner fine wire brush found at Lowe’s is ideal for removing caked-on dirt and debris from tools and within containers. These Warner brushes are also available in nylon and brass for different types of surfaces and scrubbing capabilities.

Start Seeds

I start seeds of cool-season crops such as kale, arugula, spinach and other greens at the end of January. We have a comprehensive list of what to plant in zone 7, which may help you when planning your flowers and crops.

While direct sowing into the veggie patch is possible in late March, I find that those germinating seedlings are vulnerable to the season’s first hatching of flea beetles.

Starting these seeds indoors and allowing them to grow to about 6-8 inches tall gives them a fighting chance of survival against any insects they encounter once outside.

And since I have the seed-starting trays going, I’ll start some seeds of a perennial flower variety that appeals to me. Perhaps I have acquired the seeds from a friend or a seed packet appealed to me at the store. Either way, it’s a fun way of challenging myself.

Using the self-watering seed starting system from Burpee can help you get your seeds growing. It includes a self-watering tray, growing pellets and a humidity dome. The key here is the watering tray, which ensures your seedlings will remain most for as many as 10 days.

Ward Off Animals

Speaking of challenges, an ongoing challenge on my property is the continued presence of rabbits.

Rabbits are active all year round in Zone 7a, and as they can damage tree trunks as food becomes scarce, I’ll wrap trunk guards around small trees. I’ll check the fence around my vegetable garden for places they can slip through.

I’ve thought about fortifying the patch with wooden boards around the perimeter, as well as erecting some sort of netting around my patio where herbs spend the summer in containers.

And while I am at it, I’ll spend some time reading up on the latest effective animal repellents for the garden, such as the Bobbex animal repellent found at Fast Growing Trees.

What I love about January’s gardening activities is its calm intentionality. There’s no urgency, no heat and no weeds nipping at my heels. Every task feels like an investment.

Speaking of investments, I’ll also take some time this January to read through the latest mail-order and online catalogs for fruit-bearing trees and shrubs, as well as ready my gardening map to include a few additional bare-root perennials. January is a wonderful time to dream.