January is sure a confusing month, isn't it? One day 70 degrees, the next it's 40. Three nights in the 40s, then 10 in the 20s. What's a person to do in his or her garden?

Well, because our soil doesn't freeze and snow isn't common, there's much to be done by the active gardener this month. How about pruning your fruit trees? Peach, nectarine, plum and apricot need regular work every year. Cherries, pears and apples should at least be evaluated. In the nuts, almonds need significant pruning each year, but pecans, walnuts and pistachios just need touch up for form.

And after your pruning, a dormant spray of oil and copper or oil and lime-sulphur will clean all overwintering insects and eggs off your trees, as well as beginning the sprays needed for controlling various fungi that affect your leaves and fruit. The other two fungicide sprays should be applied three to four weeks apart; the first one as buds begin to swell.

January may be the month you dormant prune your roses as well. If they are pushing new growth now, prune them now. If not, wait until early February. It is also prudent to dormant spray roses, using oil and copper or oil and lime-sulphur. Before you spray, clean all the old leaves from beneath your bushes and spray the ground thoroughly under them as well. This spraying should drastically reduce your mildew, black spot, and thrip problems in early spring.

What's that, you say? You don't have the slightest idea of where to start in pruning your fruit trees and roses? And you wouldn't dare try? Well then, invest in your garden. There are several excellent books all published in paperbacks that describe and discuss how to go about all this. They are reasonably priced and are good as a resource forever. They're available in bookstores, nurseries, and maybe the discount houses. You might also borrow one from the library. Give it a shot.

If you still have questions after reading about it, check with your local nursery professional or with the Cooperative Extension advisor at the University of Arizona. [The Cooperative Extension offices in Willcox and Sierra Vista offer free pruning brochures. Call for a copy. Also, see information concerning a free pruning demonstration elsewhere in this newsletter.]

You can enhance your garden in January as well. January-February is the time of the year that many shade trees, all fruit trees, many small fruits and vegetables, and roses are available in the "bare-root" form at nurseries and garden outlets. Expect to find some 12-15 different shade trees and ornamental trees as well. Since this is such great stone-fruit country, apples, apricots, pears, peaches, plums, prunes, Asian pears, cherries, and nectarines should be available. Pecans, walnuts, almonds, pomegranates, and persimmons will round out the normal availability but look around a bit and you might find more exotic fare such as jujubes, filberts, and plumcots.

There are many forms of fruit trees available - standard, compact, semi-dwarf and genetic dwarf - so there are sizes to fit any garden. Choose late-blooming varieties of fruit trees due to our propensity for hard frost until April 1, and plan to wait on figs until they're available in containers because it's generally too cold to establish them effectively from bare-root here.

This is great lilac country, so look for them now in bare-root. You should also be able to find blackberries, raspberries, strawberries, artichokes, rhubarb, asparagus, horseradish, and Jerusalem artichokes. Have fun looking!

And there are roses . . . The newest and best varieties are available in bare-root now. All American Rose selections are those varieties that have tested highest in test gardens all across America, and while normally more expensive, they typically do best overall. There are some great varieties out there that cost less, too, so check with your local nursery professional or the Cooperative Extension office at the University of Arizona for varieties suited to Cochise County. Remember to dig wide holes and add soil sulfur and organic matter when you plant most of the above. Roses and fruit trees will need some special care because of our windy climate - check with your local nursery professional for details.