January SKI Tips, 2026

Key gardening tasks in January include ordering seeds, testing soil, pruning fruit trees/roses, and starting slow-growing crops like onions and peppers indoors. Also, indoors you can start petunias, begonias, and impatiens. Early, cold-hardy crops such as peas, kale, and lettuce can be started inside or in cold frames. 

When resting or sleeping on the water, sea otters hold paws with each other to prevent drifting away from their group. 

Over 50 tons of trash are left in Times Square after New Year’s Eve celebrations including 3,000 lbs. of confetti.

In the Philippines, it's common to wear polka dots on New Year's Eve to symbolize wealth and prosperity. 

Waterford comes up with a new ball pattern every year for the New York City ball drop. The sphere is made up of 2,688 crystal triangles and has over 32,000 lights. It also displays over 16 million color patterns.

Farmer’s Almanac predict that winter 2025-2026 will be a “wild ride” with dramatic swings, wintry weather, and a cycle of “chill, snow, repeat.” 

When planning your garden it is recommended that at least 70% of your garden should be native plants to support local wildlife like birds and pollinators. The remaining 30% can be non-native, non-invasive plants.

Evenly water plants with tepid water. Uneven watering can lead to oedema, and watering with cold water can shock the plant. 

Geese, and many other migrating birds, fly in a V to conserve energy. This decreases the wind resistance, meaning they can fly for much longer before stopping to rest.
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Both rain and snow contain nitrogen that plants need. Nitrogen attaches to snowflakes as the snow falls through the atmosphere. In addition, nutrients are slowly released into the soil as the snow melts. This is especially effective early in the spring when the ground is thawed, allowing nature to provide a gentle fertilizer boost to plants.