Plants in the ground, especially newly planted trees, shrubs & perennials, need the equivalent of one inch of precipitation per month. Plants in containers need more since they dry out faster. If you haven’t checked your soil moisture and watered as needed already, it’s time to do so! Read on for more timely gardening tips!

Plant Doctor Quips

Nick Macaluso, Plant Doctor at our Pyramid Way store, explains, “When spreading salt on your sidewalk and driveway take care not to apply too much. The most common ice melt is rock salt, this can cause damage to your landscape and also our furry friends. Your dog’s paws can be burned or irritated because of the salt. This is why we recommend Sierra Blue Snow & Ice Melter. This is made of a sodium chloride base and coated with a magnesium chloride. This coating helps to protect plants and pets. There are ice melts that are made entirely out of magnesium chloride. These are even more safe for pets and plants but are not as effective in colder weather. When applying these products it is important to only apply where necessary. Always follow the recommended application instructions.”

Steve Packer, Plant Doctor at our S. Virginia store, says, “It’s a nice sunny day in January and you happen to be poking around in your yard when you notice a scraggly patch of green thumbing its nose at the frosty air. What? Weeds in the winter? How is that possible? Winter weeds are resilient plants that can thrive in cold temperatures, often emerging in late fall and continuing to grow in a vegetative state through winter. If left untreated they will flower, go to seed, and sow another crop of weeds for you to deal with in the summer. It’s best to hand-pull winter weeds whenever possible – the roots are shallow and come out easily. Use of herbicides is not effective in the winter cold. It’s a common practice to mulch bare areas 2-3” thick to prevent weed growth, especially in the winter.”

Jeni Ware, Plant Doctor at our S. Virginia store, says, “Plant people can absolutely have plant New Year’s Resolutions – and even aspiring plant people, it’s an excellent time to review your wish list of indoor plants and see what we have available for you. Always wanted a Pink Princess Philodendron or Thai Constellation Monstera, or a White Knight Philodendron? (I just bought myself one.) Having more hours inside your home and extra time from the seasonal break in gardening is the perfect time to pick out a new lovely plant or brainstorm with us to reimagine and reconfigure your set-up. Setting goals for them and refreshing your areas can be extremely rewarding and feel like a fresh start for you & your plant kiddos. Come on in and see what’s possible!“

Jacob Burgess, from our Moana Lane store, explains, “If you are anything like me, you can’t stand to stay inside on those slightly warmer days in the winter. Being cooped up without playing in your garden is no fun. January is a great time to work on hardscape projects around your garden. Now that a lot of your plants have died back for the season this gives you a little extra room to navigate through your garden. It’s a wonderful time to lay out some flagstone, touch up some spots with some DG, or even move around some statuary. Creating pathways through your garden can help you further navigate your landscape, and give you new vantage points in which to enjoy all of your hard work. Make sure to check out any of our Moana Nursery locations to find unique statuary, and the Moana Rock Yard to pick up any stone you may need. “

Emily Middleton, Plant Doctor at our Moana Lane store, explains, “With the new year at hand, now is a great time to start a gardening journal. Garden journals document the weather trends, bloom time, harvest period, and other factors of note in your garden, and are a fantastic reference point for all of your garden’s needs. You can write entries on a daily basis or a weekly basis, depending on how accurate of a record you’d like to keep for the year and what is manageable with your schedule. By taking note of when things are pruned, fertilized, mulched, and/or irrigated, you can log exactly what activities you’ve done in your garden and what timing is most successful for your plants to achieve the desired growth results. Each new year comes with its own challenges and environmental stressors, and journaling is a great way to remember how and when these problems occur so they become easier to spot and control. You’ll notice over time that certain pests are more prevalent at certain times of the year and that they prefer certain plants over others. Keeping a record that is unique to your garden will allow you to get ahead of potential issues in subsequent years.“

Josh Cruz, Plant Doctor at our Pyramid Way store, explains, “With minimal plant maintenance needed, January is a great time of year for any upgrades and major changes you’ve been wanting in your garden or landscape. On sunny, mild winter days work the soil and incorporate compost or other amendments to replenish nutrition and/or restore pH balance. Preparing early not only allows you to take advantage of the full duration of our shorter warm season but also avoids disturbing your existing plants while they’re actively growing and blooming. I also like to stock up on seeds and draft a starting schedule so I don’t miss my window for anything I want to grow this year!“

Bird Nerd, Annemarie Tillotson explains, “Fulfilling seasonal bird needs can be as easy as choosing the right bag of seed. Blends like Tree Nutty Plus or Winter Blend offer fat and protein filled bites designed to help birds through winter nights. Look for blends that include suet, sunflower seeds (choose in-shell sunflower seeds to watch caching behavior take place!), peanuts, and fruit to give birds the best chance at survival.“

January
Moana Nursery High Desert Gardening
Timely Tips

  • Recycle your Christmas tree at one of Keep Truckee Meadows Beautiful locations: Bartley Ranch Regional Park (6000 Bartley Ranch Rd), Reno Sports Complex (2975 N. Virginia St), Shadow Mountain Sports Complex (3300 Sparks Blvd) Friday, December 26th through Sunday, January 11th between 9 am and 4:30 pm. A minimum $5 donation is recommended. Learn more at ktmb.org.
  • Now is a great time to begin re-designing and budgeting for garden improvements. Get out ahead of the spring rush and schedule an appointment with one of Moana’s on-site Plant Doctors.
  • Regularly check plants for signs of damage from ice, snow, wind or animals and lack of winter water. If the soil has heaved plants out of the ground, push the soil back over the roots and apply a three-inch layer of mulch, leaving a three-inch clearing around the base of the plant to prevent rodents like voles from feeding at the base of the plant.
  • Mulch perennial beds and roses with 2-4 inches of G&B Organics Soil Building Conditioner if not yet done.
  • Plan for this year’s vegetable and fruit crop. Examine your garden notes to see which plants produced best for you. Check for fruit tree availability with Moana Nursery teammates now to find out if certain varieties will be available in spring.
  • Avoid using salt-based, de-icing products in or around garden areas for snow removal. Moana recommends Sierra Blue Snow & Ice Melter which is friendly to the environment, pets and plants.
  • Distribute snow loads on both shrubs and garden beds when clearing driveways or shoveling walks.
  • Remove any broken or fallen branches from the yard. Re-tie any vines that might have been torn from their supports.
  • Apply Monterey Horticultural Oil to trees and shrubs to prevent insects. Use according to directions for the correct dormant spray rate.
  • Selectively prune branches from spring blooming flowering trees and shrubs later this month and bring them indoors to force blooming. Choose branches with plenty of fat flower buds. Cut branches at least 1 foot long when temperature is above freezing. Lay them in a bathtub filled with room-temperature water overnight. Arrange them in a bucket or vase and keep them in a 60-degree room out of direct sunlight; changing water every other day. When buds swell or color up, make final arrangements and bring into a cool room, out of direct sun. Good choices include forsythia, crabapple, flowering quince, serviceberry, magnolia, apple, flowering pear & cherry, spring-flowering witch hazel and redbud.
  • Water existing trees and shrubs, especially evergreens when there has been little to no precipitation for three weeks and there is a thaw.
  • Light pruning of deciduous trees and shrubs can be done this month. Wait until late winter or very early spring before buds break to do heavy pruning. Immediately prune back any branches damaged by snow and ice.
  • Remove heavy snow loads from evergreen branches by gently sweeping snow off with a broom. If branches have been anchored to the ground, gently lift them from underneath with a broom. Avoid beating tree branches with any heavy tools.
  • Allow any ice that accumulates on tree branches to melt. Cracking ice with heavy objects should be avoided.
  • Most houseplants require less water and much less, if any, fertilizer, because they slow their growth during their semi-dormant winter period. Violets and orchids are the exceptions.
  • Monitor houseplants for insect problems that often occur when plants become stressed due to insufficient light, overheated rooms or improper watering and fertilizing techniques. Isolate new houseplants or gift plants before adding to your existing plants. Pests to look for include spider mites, thrips, scale, mealybugs, whitefly and fungus gnats. Moana recommends Hi-Yield Systemic Insect Granules, Bonide Captain Jack’s Neem Max or Fertilome Insecticidal Soap; use according to their labels.
  • Start seeds for early spring annuals requiring a long lead time before being set out in the garden.
  • Now is a good time to start a new hobby that the whole family can enjoy, Backyard Bird Feeding. We have all you need to get started – from expert advice to the freshest birdseed in town. Visit our Wild Birds Unlimited Stores located inside each Moana Nursery Garden Center.
  • The next GBBC (Great Backyard Bird Count) is February 13 –16, 2026. Bird watchers of all ages count birds to create a real-time snapshot of where birds are. Click here for more details: https://www.birdcount.org/
  • Be consistent and keep bird feeders full through the winter. Birds grow accustomed to your feeders especially in severe weather when the snacks you offer may mean their very survival. If you leave home for an extended period, a combination of seed cylinders and seed blocks can feed the birds in your absence or try to have a neighbor or friend keep the feeders going.
  • After every recent snow, stamp down the snow below feeders. Ground-feeding birds such as dark-eyed juncos, doves and many sparrows will be able to gather up the seeds that drop from the feeders.
  • Install a clear plastic weather dome to protect tube feeders from rain and snow.
  • Put out suet or no-melt suet dough (if the feeder is in the sun) and mealworms to attract insect-eating birds like flickers, woodpeckers and nuthatches.
  • Provide birds with a supply of high fat seed like Nyjer, Peanuts, Black Oil Sunflower Seeds and Finch Blend to help them stay warm. This is essential when there is a heavy snowfall and/or extreme cold.
  • Continue to supply fresh water in a heated bird bath or add a de-icer to a frost-proof bird bath to ensure a steady supply of water. To prevent the chance of disease, clean birdbaths weekly with a weak bleach solution (1-part bleach to 9 parts water). Rinse well.
  • Store bird food in a sealed container and keep in a cool dry place to prevent spoilage.
  • Install a customized Wild Birds Unlimited bird feeding station where you can easily enjoy the birds it attracts. It can be installed in the ground or on a deck.
  • Pottery:
    Always use pots with drainage holes.
    Do not block, plug, or otherwise obstruct drainage holes. Moana Nursery uses a pottery shard.
    Be sure to use a premium potting soil to ensure proper drainage; we recommend G&B Organics Blue Ribbon Blend Premium Potting Soil.
    Do not attempt to move pots that are frozen to the ground.
    Remove saucers during winter to ensure complete drainage.
    Do not allow standing water to freeze inside pots.
    Cover pots that are not in use — please note that pots which are planted with bulbs count as “in use.
    Although they are not required, using pot feet will further enhance drainage.
  • Fountains:
    Completely drain and remove pump.
    Place absorbent material in fountain such as burlap or towels.
    Either move fountain into garage or other protected area or cover empty dried fountain so that no water can accumulate and freeze.
    Moisture underneath the fountain can cause damage as it will freeze from below. Make sure fountain is covered to ensure no moisture can accumulate under the fountain (such as run off from melting snow).
  • Our Seasonal Color Team can help you with custom containers, annual planting beds or a simple refresh of your existing garden. Schedule a free consultation today!
  • Need help with your indoor plants? Contact our Interior Plant Services team. They can help you design, install, and maintain your indoor plants! Want a WOW plant presentation? Ask about installing a LIVING PLANT WALL! Examples of plant walls are available to see at both our Moana Lane and Pyramid Way locations.
  • Our expert Plant Doctors can help you with your high desert gardening;
    • Diagnose disease & insect problems on trees, shrubs & lawns;
    • Identify existing plants in your landscape and how to care for them;
    • Provide plant placement for DIY customers.
    • Stop by any location to ask questions or email plantdoctor@moananursery.com.