Gardener’s January To-Do List: Zone 7-10

Your USDA hardiness zone is determined by the average annual minimum temperature.

ZONE 7 (10F to 0F)
* Start seeds of cabbage, onions, and hardy herbs under bright lights early this month

* Clean out your coldframe

* Collect plastic jugs to use as cloches.

* Late this month, mow winter cover crops.

* Direct-seed sweet peas.

* Indoors, start seeds of perennials, such as columbine and balloon flower.

* Begin dividing daylilies.

* Prune crape myrtles.

* Set out junipers, hollies, and other evergreens.

ZONE 8 (20F to 10F)
* Harden-off cool-weather transplants (cabbage, broccoli, etc.) that you’ve started indoors.

* Start lettuce indoors. When seedlings have several leaves, set them out under plastic milk jug cloches.

* Sow peas outdoors late this month.

* Set seed potatoes in a bright spot to encourage sprouting.

* Take advantage of your last chance to dig and divide crowded daylilies and daffodils.

* Dig and transplant dormant phlox, thrift, and hosta.

* Trim old leaves from liriope, but don’t disturb the crowns.

ZONE 9 ( 30F TO 20F)
* Sow beets, carrots, lettuce, peas, and spinach in the garden.

* Indoors, start seeds of tomatoes, peppers, and eggplants.

* Direct-seed alyssum, California poppies, nasturtium, and cornflowers.

* Prune geraniums to stimulate bushy new growth.

* Plant new persimmons, loquats, and figs.

* In the West, plant young pistachios in well-drained soil, then stake them securely.

ZONE 10 (40F TO 30F)
* Set out transplants of onions, potatoes, cabbage, and broccoli.

* Water transplants often to keep them growing strong.

* Plant dahlias, caladiums, gladiolus, and tropical tubers, such as amaryllis and crinums.

* Set out bedding plants such as pansies, dianthus, and petunias.

* Plant young plumerias in containers.

* Trim back pointsettias and other tropicals after they finish blooming.

* Taste citrus fruits regularly so that you can harvest them at their peak of flavor.