Arizona Garden in January

Welcome to this Arizona garden in January guide. Navigating winter garden maintenance might seem daunting. This post shares practical tips for keeping your garden vibrant in the cooler months, with a focus on growing vegetables, herbs, and fruit in the low desert of Arizona.

January is often the coldest month in the low desert Arizona garden. Although colder, it doesn’t mean you should stay inside this month. Important garden tasks need to be done this month, such as pruning roses and fruit trees (see a list of garden tasks for January below). Harvests from fall plantings continue throughout the month as you plan for your spring and summer garden. Low desert includes elevations below 3500 ft in the Southwest, such as the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas.

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“Anyone who thinks gardening begins in the spring and ends in the fall is missing the best part of the whole year. For gardening begins in January with the dream.”

– Josephine Nuese

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Vegetables growing in the low desert Arizona garden in January

Kale is a superstar in the Arizona garden in January. Keep harvesting for a continuous supply. Frosty nights will sweeten the taste of kale. Grow several varieties of kale in your garden. 

Broccoli harvests begin in earnest this month. Hopefully, you succession planted to have a continuous harvest all month. Plant transplants through the end of January. 

Carrots planted in September and October are ready to harvest. Plant carrots through the end of March. Be sure to thin carrots for large, delicious carrots.

If you aren’t growing asparagus, consider dedicating a 4-foot by 4-foot raised bed. January is a great time to plant asparagus. 

If you are growing asparagus, January is the time to cut back the dormant fronds and amend the bed with a 5-inch layer of compost. 

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Tips for growing flowers in the low desert Arizona garden in January

Cool-season annual flowers and wildflowers planted from September through December are beginning to bloom this month and should continue blooming through March. Thin seedlings if they emerge in clumps. Water cool-season annuals 4 to 6 inches deep about once a week. 

Want better blooms on your seed-grown annuals? Thin them to where each plant’s leaves are touching one another when the plant is 3-4 inches tall.

Most annuals will do well in our cooler winter and spring seasons when chosen carefully. As temperatures heat up, these cool season annuals will die. Keep a garden journal of what worked in the past and what didn’t.

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Fruit trees in the low desert Arizona garden in January​

• Plant bare-root fruit trees this month. Look for trees that have low chill hours (less than 400), mature early, and self-pollinate. 
• Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned before bud break this month. 
• This Fruit Planting Guide lists several fruit trees that do well in the low desert of Arizona.
• Blood oranges and grapefruit citrus are ripening this month. Best way to test for sweetness? Pick one and try it! Water established citrus once every 3-4 weeks in January. 
• Trying to decide which variety to plant next month? This article will help you decide. 

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Herbs in the low desert Arizona garden in January ​

Garlic chives are a reliable perennial herb in Arizona. Consider finding a spot to tuck them in and around your garden this month. If you have garlic chives in your garden, January is a good time to cut back and divide the overgrown clumps. 

Read this article for more information about how to grow garlic chives. 

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Low desert Arizona garden in January to-do list:​

• If you didn’t start seeds indoors for tomatoes, eggplant, melons and peppers in December, get them started this month. The seedlings will be ready to be planted by February or March. 
• Continue planning for February and March plantings. This is seed catalog season; get ideas you would like to try and order seeds. My favorite seed companies with great catalogs are Baker Creek Seeds, Botanical Interests, and Seed Saver Exchange. Look at your garden and plan where you will plant everything. Research different varieties to see which do well in Arizona. A good rule of thumb is to look for short-season crops. Be sure to rotate where you plant each year. 
• Read this post for more information about how to start seeds indoors.
• Here is a link to my favorite seed-starting supplies.
• Want more information about gardening in Arizona? This blog post shares 7 tips for  how to grow a vegetable garden in Arizona. 

• Are you going to grow sweet potatoes this year? Start your own sweet potato slips so they will be ready to plant in March. This article explains how to start sweet potato slips. 
• Buy organic turmeric and ginger for planting out in March. Learn how to pre-sprout ginger and turmeric in this blog post.
• Plant spring flowering annuals this month. (See list below)
• Plant pre-chilled (at least 6 weeks in the fridge) tulip and hyacinth bulbs this month.
• Plant cold-tolerant trees, bushes, and perennials and protect new plants from freezing temperatures. 
• January in Arizona is a good time to plant deciduous fruit trees. Look for varieties that require less than 400 chill hours, have early maturing fruit, and are self-pollinating.
• Bare-root roses are in stock at local nurseries – it’s a great time to plant roses. Learn how to grow roses in this blog post.

• This is the last month to plant strawberries. Space strawberries 12 inches apart. Plant strawberries with crown of plant above soil line. Mulch and water strawberries well.  
• January in the low desert of Arizona is a good month to propagate succulents so they establish roots before summer heat. 
• Wait until mid-to-late February to plant frost-sensitive plants such as lantana and hibiscus.
• Begin planting blackberries at the end of the month. 

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Watering:

• If we get heavy rain, trees and shrubs may not need supplemental watering. If not, water shrubs and trees no more than once every 14-28 days.  Wateruseitwisely.com is a helpful resource for landscape watering guidelines.
• Do not over-water annual plants this month. Water to a depth of about 6 inches, and allow the top of the soil to dry out before watering again. 
• Check containers with a moisture meter or ensure the top inch or so of soil has dried out before watering. 
• Water established citrus trees once every 3-4 weeks. 
• Water established fruit trees once every 10-14 days.

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Pruning:

• Frost-tender plants such as hibiscus and lantana should not be pruned this month. 
• Prune established roses this month. Clean up all fallen leaves and debris around roses to discourage disease and insects.  
• Prune dead branches out of cold-hardy trees and shrubs.  
• If deciduous fruit trees have been slow to drop leaves, remove any remaining leaves to encourage dormancy. 
• Deciduous fruit trees should be pruned before bud break this month. Prune dead, diseased, broken and crossing branches and water sprouts (branches shooting straight up from limbs of trees). Consider treating fruit trees with horticultural oil before bud break as well. 
• Do not prune citrus trees in January.

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Fertilizing:

• Fertilize deciduous fruit trees at the end of this month. Water well before and after fertilizing. 
• Fertilize established fig trees in January.  Aged manure is a wonderful way to feed figs.

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Protect from freezing temperatures (below 32° F):

• Have burlap or frost cloth on hand to protect newly planted citrus, small lemon and lime trees, and other frost-sensitive plants from frost.
• Plants in containers are more susceptible to freezing temperatures than ground ones.  
• If freezing temperatures are expected, water citrus trees deeply to help protect them from frost. 

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Yard clean-up:

• Clean-up around fruit trees. Decayed fruit is inviting for pests.  
• Consider leaving the leaves in place. If you do rake up the leaves, then save them. Bag leaves and let them decompose; then spread them on plants as leaf mulch in spring. If you compost, they are a great addition to the compost pile. Learn how to compost in this article. 

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Vegetables, Herbs & Fruit to plant in the low desert in January

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(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

SEED, TRANSPLANT, OR BOTH? S = Seed T= Transplant

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Vegetable, herb, and fruit seeds to start indoors during January

(Click the link for seed sources.)

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Flowers to plant in the low desert in January

(Click the link to read “How to Grow” articles on my website.)

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Flower seeds to start indoors in the low desert in January

(Click the link for seed sources.)

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Vegetable, Herb, and Fruit Planting Guide for the Low Desert of Arizona

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