There are two types of weed barriers that you can install in your garden to prevent any unwanted plant growth: plastic and fabric.

• Plastic weed barriers: Since they’re resistant to water, plastic barriers need to have holes cut in them to allow water to permeate.
• Fabric weed barriers: Will allow water through while blocking the sun from promoting weeds from sprouting up.

To find out more, read our article on How to Install Landscape Fabric and Plastic.

Related posts:

• How to Kill Weeds in a Gravel Driveway
• Creating a Path in Your Lawn or Garden
• Applying ‘Weed and Feed’ Products to St. Augustine Grass

Spring is on the way! This year, March 20 marks the Vernal or Spring Equinox, when day and night are the same length. Don’t be fooled by the calendar though. Depending on where you live, freezing weather can persist well past the official start of spring.

As you plan your early spring chores, take a look at your garden soil. When a shovelful of soil crumbles in your hands, the soil is considered “workable.” If it’s still frozen, or soggy enough that a handful mushes into a ball, you should wait before plowing or digging.

Also take note of your last frost date and hardiness zone. As soon as the last frost has passed, you can begin planting summer bulbs and annuals and working outdoors in earnest.

Bare-root roses and shrubs can be planted while dormant.

Trees and Shrubs

• Continue pruning nonflowering trees and shrubs. You can also prune summer and fall flowering trees and shrubs such as crape myrtle and butterfly bush.
• Prune spring-flowering shrubs such as azaleas, camellias, and rhododendrons after they bloom.
• Hold off on pruning birch, maple, and other “bleeding” trees until after the leaves develop.
• Clean up and prune trees and shrubs that have been broken by winter storms, but hold off on pruning frost and cold damage until growth starts, so you can see what’s able to recover.
• Plant bare-root and container-grown trees and shrubs.
• Begin fertilizing trees and shrubs once growth starts.
• Transplant trees and shrubs when the soil is workable, but before they leaf out.
• Prune and fertilize roses.

Remove winter mulch gradually to protect tender new growth.

Perennials and Bulbs

• Cut back overgrown or leggy perennials.
• Cut or mow ornamental grasses, being careful not to cut the short new growth.
• Plant, divide, and transplant perennials and ornamental grasses as soon as the soil is workable.
• Weed bulb beds, being careful not to disturb the bulbs.
• Replant any plants that have been pushed out of the ground by frost heaving.
• Remove any extra winter mulch from perennials gradually after the worst of the freezing weather has passed. Note the hardiness zone of the plant, and remove the mulch once temperatures have warmed to the minimum for that zone.
• Fertilize bulbs after blooming, with a bulb-boosting fertilizer or compost.
• Plant tender bulbs (such as caladium, dahlia, and tuberous begonia) after all danger of frost has passed.
• Prune overgrown vines once they have bloomed.

Violas can survive the frosty temperatures of early spring.

Annuals and Containers

• Unless you have a warm place to store container plants, wait until after the last frost before filling them with summer annuals. In cool spring weather, you can enjoy pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, and violas.
• Be sure to deadhead your plants to promote more blooms.
• Sow seeds for summer blooming annuals indoors. If you started them last month, transplant seedlings into peat pots or other containers to prepare for moving outdoors.

Cool-season grasses will begin growing in early spring.

Lawns

• Cool-season grasses (such as fescue and bluegrass) begin growing in earnest as spring arrives. If needed, feed lightly with a balanced fertilizer. Aerate and dethatch cool-season lawns only if absolutely necessary; otherwise be gentle – since lawns are delicate in spring.
• Bermuda lawns may benefit from a “scalping” to remove the tall brown stubble of winter. Scalping is not necessary but can make the grass softer and easier to mow in summer. Gradually lower your mower blade to a final mowing of about 1”, and remove the clippings. Do not scalp other types of grass.
• Apply pre-emergent herbicide or corn gluten to prevent crabgrass and other annual weeds.
• Spring is a good time to add soil to low areas and to patch bare spots in cool-season lawns. Heavy seed planting is most successful in the fall.
• Avoid walking on spongy, wet soil.
• Test your soil pH and add lime (if acidic) or sulfur (if alkaline), following package instructions.
• Resume your warm weather watering schedule as soon as grass begins to grow.

Plan to add some herbs to your perennial garden this year.

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

• Plant fruit trees.
• Plow and work your garden as soon as the soil is dry and crumbly. Work in a nice layer of compost or other organic matter.
• Plant and enjoy cool-season leafy vegetables such as lettuce, spinach, and other greens.
• Plant bare-root perennial vegetables and fruits, such as asparagus, rhubarb, grapes, and berries.
• Begin planting cool-weather vegetables such as carrots, beets, radishes, broccoli, cauliflower, mustard, peas, and potatoes.
• Start seeds indoors for summer vegetables such as tomatoes, peppers, and corn.
• Rejuvenate your herb garden – trim back leggy plants and add new perennial herbs such as rosemary, parsley, thyme, and mint.
• Plant annual herb seeds, such as basil and cilantro, indoors to transplant to the garden after the last frost.
• Plant tomatoes and other warm-weather vegetables in containers that can be brought indoors during cold temperatures.

Houseplants can be repotted in the spring.

Houseplants

• Pinch back spindly plants, and root the cuttings.
• Repot houseplants that are pot-bound.
• Inspect for insects and diseases, such as spider mites and scale. Address problems as soon as you spot them.
• As soon as your houseplants begin to grow, you can begin a schedule of fertilizing and resume a regular watering schedule.
• Gently wipe or spray houseplants to remove winter dust. For fuzzy-leaved plants like African violets, gently brush clean with a soft, dry cloth.
• Increase watering of cacti in preparation for blooming.

Get ready for nesting birds!

Cleanup and Maintenance

• Start or add to your compost pile using the debris from spring clean-up.
• Scrub garden fountains with water or a mild vinegar solution, and refill with fresh water.
• Clean out, inspect, and repair birdhouses for the spring nesting season.
• Continue feeding the birds and watch for the arrival of hummingbirds.
• Repair and paint fences, trellises, arbors, and garden furniture.
• Install drip irrigation and sprinklers, to prepare for summer watering.
• Observe your lawn and garden during the spring thaw and rains and address any drainage problems.
• Start a garden journal to keep track of weather patterns, bloom times, sunlight, and plant growth.

Further Information

• Early Spring Gardening Checklist
• Spring Planting Time
• Spring Lawn Care Guide
• Spring Fix-Up

Related posts:

• May Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• April Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• November Lawn & Garden To-Do List

If Candlemas Day be fair and bright,
Winter will have another flight,
If Candlemas Day be cloud and rain,
Then Winter will not come again
-Old English Proverb

February 2nd marks the official midpoint of winter, and on this day many cultures look to folklore and tradition for signs of the coming spring. Both Groundhog Day and Candlemas predict how long winter will last based on the weather on that day. If skies are clear, it’s taken as a sign that winter will remain for six more weeks while cloudy weather is believed to herald an early arrival of spring.

In mid-February, Zone 9 will be approaching the last frost of the season, and frost-free zones can look forward to all the chores that mark the beginning of the growing season. Watch the forecasts closely to protect new plants from surprise late frosts – February is known for unpredictable weather and seasonal indecision.

For the rest of us, February remains a winter month, with most plants either still dormant or just beginning to stir. Many of the chores from the January To-Do List can be continued along with the following items.

Trees and Shrubs

• Continue to protect tender trees and shrubs before a freeze.
• Prune roses as soon as the buds begin to swell.
• If your roses are winterized, leave them covered until all danger of hard frost has passed.
• Prune trees or shrubs that have been damaged by winter storms.
• Zones 7 and warmer can plant bare-root trees and shrubs, and zones 8 and higher can plant bare-root roses.

Perennials and Bulbs

• Check stored tender bulbs every two weeks, discarding any rotten ones. If they look withered, lightly mist the packing medium with water.
• Look for early bulb sprouts as a sign of spring!
• Prune Group B and C clematis vines, but don’t prune Group A since they bloom early on buds produced at the end of last season.
• Prune or mow ornamental grasses if desired.
• Zones 8 and warmer can start planting ornamental grasses while Zones 9 and higher can plant summer-flowering bulbs and perennials outdoors.

Annuals and Containers

• Continue protecting tender container plants from freezing temperatures, and don’t forget to water!
• Fertilize winter-blooming pansies with a bloom-boosting fertilizer.
• Plant poppy seeds by spreading the seeds on top of the last snow of the season.
• Zones 9 and warmer can plant spring annuals outdoors following the last frost.

Lawns

• Address growing weeds using a post-emergence herbicide.
• Apply pre-emergent crabgrass control when soil temperatures have reached 55° F for 4 or 5 consecutive days.
• Remember not to walk or drive on frozen grass!

Fruits, Vegetables, and Herbs

• Inspect stored fruits and vegetables and discard any that are spoiled.
• Fertilize winter vegetable plants if needed.
• If you haven’t already done so, prune dormant fruit trees and grape vines.
• Give your potted herbs a dose of nutrition by replacing the top inch of soil with fresh compost.
• If you haven’t already, apply dormant spray to fruit trees before new growth begins.
• If you’ve started plants in a cold frame, be sure to ventilate it on warm days.
• Zones 8 and higher can plant cool-season vegetables such as lettuce, broccoli, cabbage, and kale.

Houseplants

• Protect houseplants from drafts and cold temperatures, and make sure plants don’t touch cold window glass.
• Increase humidity around tropical plants.
• Water regularly, but less often, and reduce fertilization.
• Prune house plants if needed.
• Repot your holiday cactus if needed, but remember they like to be pot-bound.

Cleanup and Maintenance

• If the ground isn’t frozen, till your garden and work in amendments.
• Avoid using salt on frozen driveways and sidewalks – use sand, organic kitty litter, or sawdust instead.
• As you prune, look for brown praying mantis egg cases, and replace them gently back into the plant since praying mantises eat other garden pests.
• Do a late winter maintenance of all your garden tools. Sharpen blades, replace broken tools, repair handles, and oil moving parts to get ready for spring.
• Start up your power tools, such as your lawn mower, chainsaw, or weed trimmer. If needed, you can drop them off at the repair shop before the spring rush.
• Even during the winter, remember to water your plants. Cold air removes moisture from plants faster than they can absorb it, and newly planted trees and shrubs are particularly vulnerable.
• Go out on a nice day and turn your compost pile.
• Keep those bird feeders filled!
• Make out your garden calendar, including planting dates and seed germination times.
• Place orders for seeds, vegetables, and ornamental plants.
• Start seed flats indoors, in bright indirect light or under a grow-light, for spring planting outdoors.
• Valentine’s Day flower arrangements will stay fresher if kept out of strong sunlight.

Related posts:

• December Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• March Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• April Lawn & Garden To-Do List

Late winter/early spring is a great time to repot houseplants since they’re getting ready to begin their spring growth spurt, and we gardeners are so stir crazy that we’re looking for a good reason to get our hands dirty! Depending on your plant’s needs, you have several options:

• Repot in a Bigger Pot: For plants that are actively growing and have become pot bound.
• Repot in the Same Pot with Fresh Soil: For neglected plants or ones you wish to keep the same size.
• Refresh the Top Layer of Soil: For very large plants that would be hard to repot, or healthy ones that you’d like to spruce up.

Here’s how to go about successfully repotting your houseplants.

This suffering peace lily needs drainage and better soil.

When to Repot Plants

Just because you have the digging itch doesn’t mean your plants need to be uprooted! The majority of tropical houseplants actually like to be a little crowded in their pots, and increasing the pot size when it’s not necessary can do more harm than good. Signs that a plant needs to be repotted include:

• Plants that are straggly, pale, or have stopped growing.
• Water runs immediately out the bottom without soaking into the soil.
• Top heavy plants that keep falling over.
• Pots without drainage holes in the bottom.
• Roots that poke up out of the soil, or out of the holes in the bottom of the pot.
• Thick roots that are coiled tightly in a circle (gently remove plant from pot to inspect).

Supplies Needed to Repot Plants

• Tools: Trowel, gloves, scissors, and a clean sharp knife.
• Potting Soil: Choose a high quality potting mix specific to your type of plant. Special mixes are available for cacti, African violets, citrus, orchids, and many other types of houseplants. For general repotting of foliage plants, use an all-purpose houseplant potting mix.
• Pots: Choose pots that have drainage holes in the bottom and are no more than 1”- 2” larger in diameter than the current pot. Resist the urge to use a bigger pot, since your plant won’t appreciate the extra room and all the extra soggy soil can suffocate it.
• Work Space: Unless you have a really warm day (in the 60s or more), do your repotting indoors. Spread some newspaper or plastic to make cleanup easier.

How to Repot Plants

Step 1: Water Plant

Lightly water your plant to help the root ball and soil slide more easily out of the pot.

Step 2: Remove Plant

Remove your plant from the pot by carefully turning it on its side, then support the main stem in one hand and use the other hand to gently pull the pot away. Try not to pull on the stem – if necessary, you can gently tap the pot on the counter, or use a knife or trowel to loosen the soil around the edges of the pot. Be careful not to yank or break the main stems of the plant!

Step 3: Prune Roots

When moving your plant to a larger pot, begin by inspecting the roots and soil. If the soil is in good shape, try to disturb it as little as possible. If it’s rotten or moldy, shake away some of the excess, but remember that removing soil will stress your plant even more. If the roots are tightly coiled, use your fingers or a sharp knife to loosen or gently slice them so they can spread out, trimming away any really long ends. Cut away any rotten or dead roots.

When repotting in the same pot, shake off the excess soil, then use scissors to prune back up to 25% of the roots. This will help rejuvenate your plant while keeping it small enough to stay in the same pot.

Step 4: Clean Pot

Clean the pot with hot soapy water to get rid of disease causing microorganisms and insect larvae. Pat dry.

Step 5: Add Soil

If the soil drains well, it’s not necessary to put gravel in the bottom of the pot. Make a small mound of soil in the pot for your plant to sit on. Measure the height and make sure the top of the root ball is at least 1/2″ below the rim of the pot, so that it won’t overflow when you water it.

Step 6: Position Plant

Place the plant in the pot and settle it on the soil. Look at it from all sides to make sure it’s centered and sitting up straight.

Step 7: Fill Pot

Add potting soil around the plant in layers, pressing it down with your fingers until firm. Don’t bury your plant deeper than it was before!

Step 8: Water Plant

Water your newly potted plant well until the water runs out the bottom. I like to sit the plant in the sink or bathtub and give it a good drink, making sure the soil gets evenly moist while the excess water drains away. This is also a good time to spritz or wipe down the foliage to remove dust and potting soil.

Step 9: Settling

Sometimes after watering, it’s necessary to add a little more soil to fill in low spots in the pot.

Step 10: Trim Plant

Cut off any dead or broken stems and leaves. If needed, lightly prune your plant to encourage branching.

Caring for Repotted Plants

Your plant will need about three to four weeks to recover from repotting. During that time:

• Water regularly.
• Hold off on fertilizer, because the roots are sensitive and could burn.
• Keep your plant in a bright spot away from direct sunlight.

Use high quality potting mix.

Further Information

• Tips for Repotting Houseplants (Canadian Gardening)
• Beginner’s Guide to Caring for Houseplants
• How to Water Houseplants (video)
• How to Grow Houseplants in Low Light Conditions

Related posts:

• How to Top-Dress Houseplants
• Beginner’s Guide to Caring for Houseplants
• How to Dress Up Your Houseplants with Mulch

If you ask a group of gardeners for a definition of “organic gardening,” you’ll likely get many different answers. Instead of using synthetic or toxic chemicals, organic gardeners create a garden ecosystem that sustains itself. Some will use only commercial products approved as USDA Organic or listed by the Organic Materials Review Institute (OMRI).

Others will go a step further and not use any commercial or manufactured products at all, choosing only natural composts, manures, and plant oils. Still other organic gardeners embrace the idea of permaculture, bringing in nothing from outside and cultivating a garden using only the resources of their own land.

In short, regardless of the degree to which it’s taken, organic gardens give more to the earth than they take away. More than anything else, organic gardening requires altering your mindset about gardening. Once you change the way you approach gardening, it will be easy to change what you do. Here are three basic concepts to get you started on the path to organic gardening.

Rich soil is the key to organic gardening.

Rule #1: Feed the Soil

If you only take away one idea on organic gardening, it should be: Feed the soil, not the plants. Chemical fertilizers are like having a candy bar for breakfast; it delivers a fast boost but quickly fades to leave you feeling worse than you did before.

Instead, enrich your soil with organic matter, which improves the texture, water retention, nutrient content, and beneficial microbes to create a virtual plant paradise. If you put your energy into enriching your soil instead of feeding your plants, your thumb will turn so green you’ll think you dipped it in paint!

Instead of reaching for fertilizer or chemicals, consider:

• Add Organic Matter: Spread compost, manure, and other organic matter on your garden before tilling it.
• Enrich Your Lawn: Aerate and top-dress your lawn. Mulch your grass when you cut to leave the grass clippings to decompose.
• Dig It Up: Deeply dig a new planting bed and work in a rich helping of organic matter before planting.
• Plant Cover Crops: Green manure cover crops (such as alfalfa or peas) increase nitrogen in the soil during the off-season and can be tilled under for extra compost.
• Add Mulch: Deep mulches around plants break down slowly to improve the soil.
• Avoid Losing Battles: Avoid cultivating areas that have notoriously poor soil or erosion problems.

Recycling is nature’s way of saying, “Life goes on.”

Rule #2: Recycle the Nutrients

Embrace the cycle of life by feeding your garden with nutrients recycled from other living things. Whether you recycle your shredded leaves or purchase an organic garden product, be sure the nutrients are coming from decaying organic matter or natural sources. Many commercial garden chemicals are manufactured from fossil fuels while others consist of highly processed mineral salts or synthetic compounds.

Here are some great ways to recycle nutrients:

• Start a compost pile to recycle plant debris and kitchen waste.
• Feed your garden with manure.
• Make your own nutritious mulch out of grass clippings, leaves, and wood chips.

When shopping for garden products, look for:

• Fertilizers made from manure, worm castings, seaweed, or other organic materials.
• Soil amendments such as kelp meal, cottonseed meal, bone meal, or blood meal. Make sure you understand (and are comfortable with) the manufacturing process of whatever you’re using – some are byproducts of the meat processing industry while other products can contain preservatives or involve additional processing.
• Mineral supplements from naturally occurring sources, such as greensand, wood ash, and granite dust.
• Fungicides, insecticides, and herbicides made from plant oils and natural elements.
• Products certified by OMRI (Organic Materials Research Institute).

Beneficial insects are affected by pesticides, too.

Rule #3: Embrace the Ecosystem

Our gardens were naturally full of life long before we started digging in them! Nature has quite an effective system for maintaining itself which is often destroyed when we use chemicals and sprays to try and create an unnatural, artificial environment. Organic gardens restore this balance by encouraging a wide range of plant and animal life, which in turn creates a self-sustaining ecosystem.

Ways to boost your garden’s ecosystem include:

• Plant Smart: Practice companion planting and crop rotation to reduce disease and pests. For instance, lining the perimeter of your garden with garlic and onions will help discourage nibbling critters. Moving tomato plants from year to year will keep early blight on the run.
• Encourage Pollinators: Include a variety of flowering plants in your vegetable garden to attract birds, bees, and wasps. They in turn will pollinate your plants and feast on the grubs and insects that threaten fruits and vegetables.
• Tend the “Microherd:” Healthy soil is full of beneficial microbes that break down and transfer nutrients to the roots of your plants. Those microbes also serve as an underground immune system against plant diseases. Soil rich in organic matter and free of chemicals promotes a healthy microherd that is naturally disease-resistant.
• Go Native: Grow native plants that are well suited to your climate, rainfall, and soil type. They’re also more disease resistant and will be more attractive to beneficial insects.


Natural insecticidal oil.

• Outsmart Pests: Practice organic insect control using row covers, plant collars, natural predators, plant oils, and natural soaps – not to mention old fashioned trapping and squishing! If a particular insect threatens your harvest, choose an organic control product that specifically targets that pest, rather than applying chemicals that kill indiscriminately.
• Reduce Weeds: Keep weeds under control using organic mulches and regular cultivation. Choose natural weed killers such as vinegar, boiling water, and solarization.
• Welcome Creepy-Crawlies: Make peace with frogs, snakes, praying mantises, wasps, and spiders – they’re feasting on a buffet of plant destroying pests!
• Stay Vigilant: Many insect and disease problems can be nipped in the bud if caught early.
• Embrace Imperfection: Organic gardens don’t have to be messy, but they’re often less pristine than a chemically altered landscape. However, the occasional worm in your tomato, dead leaf, or nibbled plant are only a small nuisance if your ecosystem is functioning properly.

Think of your garden as an interconnected web of life that sustains itself.

Further Information

• Organic Gardening Magazine
• The Debate over Organic vs. Chemical Fertilizers
• Using Mulch in Your Garden
• Environmentally Friendly Landscaping for Your Home (video)
• How to Make Compost for Your Garden (video)

Related posts:

• Organic Sources of Potassium for Your Lawn or Garden
• Phosphorus Fertilizer in Your Lawn or Garden
• How to Top-Dress Houseplants

Most of us begin the New Year armed with plans, projects, and resolutions. The January garden provides a stark contrast as it hunkers down to wait out the winter, but there’s still plenty to do when the weather cooperates.

The month of January takes its name from Janus—the Roman god of Gateways and Journeys—who is often pictured looking both backward and forward at the same time. New Year’s resolutions spring from this tradition, and your January gardening can follow suit.

This is a great month for evaluating and planning, placing orders (January is National Mail-Order Gardening Month), preparing and getting organized. It’s also a good time to work on plants during dormancy, so they can begin their spring growing season with an advantage.

Here are some gardening chores to tackle during January.

Bare trees can reveal unexpected treasures, such as this hawk’s nest.

Trees and Shrubs

In January, you can continue these chores from December:

• In warmer zones, protect tender trees and shrubs from surprise frosts by covering them with burlap draped over a simple wooden frame or plant stakes.
• Inspect stakes and wires on newly planted trees, to make sure they are still straight and not damaging the bark.
• Stake leggy plants to protect from wind or ice breakage.
• Leave snow in place as an insulator – remove (gently!) only if the weight of the snow threatens to break the plant. Do not attempt to remove ice.

You can also:

• Prune dormant trees and shrubs now, including fruit trees. In warmer zones with winter-flowering shrubs, wait until just after they bloom.
• Hold off on pruning spring-flowering shrubs until after they bloom.
• Inspect your winterized roses – make sure they are still firmly tied and/or covered.
• Apply anti-desiccants to newly planted evergreens.
• Bring spring-flowering branches indoors for forcing. Good choices are forsythia, pussy willow, jasmine, and flowering quince.

Zones 7 and warmer can:

• Begin planting roses.
• Plant bare-root, balled-and-burlapped, and container-grown trees and shrubs. It can be hard to identify plants when dormant, so hopefully you’ve made some notes during the growing season!

These forsythia branches are already gearing up for spring.

Perennials and Bulbs

Continue these tasks from previous months:

• Protect evergreen perennials from freeze damage. Use boughs from your recycled Christmas greenery as an extra mulch layer.
• Check your stored tender bulbs every couple of weeks. Discard any rotten ones. If they look withered or dried out, mist the packing medium very lightly with water.
• Brighten up cold, gray days by bringing out your chilled bulbs for forcing indoors. Also plant bulbs that don’t require chilling, such as paperwhite narcissus.
• Sow seeds in indoor flats for spring planting.

Also, you can:

• Clip faded blossoms from gift amaryllis.
• Take a tour of your garden to see if any of your plants have been uprooted by frost heaving. If so, add extra mulch.
• Zones 7 and warmer can plant summer and fall flowering bulbs.
• Frost-free zones (11 and warmer) can plant spring annuals outdoors.

Annuals and Containers

• Continue to protect tender container plants from freezing temperatures.
• Keep watering containers.
• Feed winter-blooming pansies with a bloom-boosting fertilizer.
• Start seeds indoors for summer annuals.

Lawns

• Remember not to walk or drive on frozen grass.
• Apply post-emergence weed control to actively growing broadleaf weeds.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Inspect stored fruits and vegetables (such as apples and potatoes) for decay. Throw away any that look spoiled, and increase air circulation to reduce further damage.

• If your winter vegetables are looking yellow, add some nitrogen fertilizer.
• Prune dormant fruit trees and grape vines.
• Continue applying dormant spray to fruit trees. Don’t spray during wind, rain, or freezing temperatures.
• Sow seeds indoors for spring vegetable planting.

Houseplants

Continue these chores from previous months:

• Keep houseplants out of drafts and in the brightest spot possible.
• Increase humidity around tropical plants.
• Reduce fertilization, but continue watering (may water less often, but the same amount). Make sure your water is room temperature.
• Address any insect and disease problems.
• Keep plants clean by gently wiping or rinsing.

Also, you can:

• Give extra protection on chilly nights by closing drapes and making sure plants don’t touch cold glass.
• Give your holiday cactus a rest this month, by watering sparingly but keeping it in indirect light.
• Repot any indoor plants that are pot-bound.
• Cover or wrap new houseplants when transporting to keep them from freezing on the trip home.

Cleanup and Maintenance

Continue these chores from previous months:

• If the ground isn’t frozen, install French drains, bury downspouts and drainage pipes, and watch for drainage problems in the garden.
• Have your soil tested to determine if supplements are needed.
• Till workable soil and work in amendments. This gives you the added benefit of exposing buried insect eggs and larvae to hungry birds.
• Don’t forget to feed the birds!
• Clean, oil, and repair garden tools.
• Take in your lawn mower in for blade sharpening or repairs – the repair shops are much less busy this time of year.

Also, you can:

• Inspect and repair leaky or water-damaged sheds, porches, and garden structures.
• Build fences and walkways, and install trellises and structures before the vines start growing.
• Busy gardens make lonely gardeners – use the winter to join a garden club, start a garden blog, or otherwise connect with fellow gardeners.
• Add cooled fireplace ashes to your compost pile.
• Don’t use salt on frozen driveways and sidewalks – it can damage surrounding plants. Instead, use sand, organic kitty litter, or sawdust.
• Clean your stored containers using a little vinegar or bleach. Smash broken clay pots and store the shards to use as drainage in the spring.
• Garden catalogs start arriving in earnest this month. Sit by the fire and make your wish list.
• January is the prime month for planning! Read the gardening books you received as gifts, make landscape diagrams of your existing garden, and work out your design for the next growing season.

A new top for the bird-feeder pole is on my to-do list to keep from embarrassing the birds!

Related posts:

• February Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• December Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• November Lawn & Garden To-Do List

In most cases, snow is nothing to fear in the garden – it’s a great insulator, and it melts to provide much needed water to dry plants in the winter. However, heavy snow and ice buildup can cause devastating damage in the garden if limbs and trunks bend or break. Here’s what you need to know about dealing with snow and ice in the yard and garden.

The bent limbs on these Leyland cypress may recover in spring.

Should You Remove Snow and Ice?

• Natural Snow Cover: Even if it’s deep, a blanket or windblown drift of snow is nothing to worry about – in fact, it acts as an extra layer of insulating mulch!


Snowplows can damage plants.

• Manmade Snow Cover: Most snow damage is caused by humans using snowplows, shovels, and snowblowers. Pushed or mechanically blown snow is dense and slow to melt, and it can break a strong shrub right in two. Be careful not to pile snow on your plants by mechanical means as it will then need to be removed and might do damage you can’t prevent.
• Bent Branches: Tender branches (particularly conifers) may become broken or weighed down with heavy snow and can a hard time springing back into shape. The fallen snow can also melt and refreeze to form devastating ice.
• Snow from Roofs: Remove snow from roofs (if you can safely), and remove the piles of snow that may cascade down onto your shrubs from the roof above. If your shrubs are right in the danger zone under a steep roof, you may want to protect them with a temporary wooden frame.

Sweep gently upwards to dislodge snow from shrubs and other plants.

How to Remove Snow from Shrubs and Plants

• Sweep Gently: Using a broom or your hands, GENTLY sweep in an upward motion, loosening the snow and allowing it to fall. Don’t sweep downward, as you might break an already bent branch, and don’t shake the plant. The branches will be very brittle and already stressed, so disturb them as little as possible.
• Avoid Accumulation: You’ll have much less damage to your plants if you remove snow after every couple of inches of accumulation, rather than waiting until it’s deep.
• Leave Ice Alone: Don’t try to remove ice, as the branch will likely break. Once ice has formed, you really should just wait it out.

• Be Safe: Never try to remove snow or ice from overhead branches! There’s a high risk of breakage, and you don’t want heavy limbs falling on you, your house, or your car!

Don’t try to remove ice from plants as it can cause more damage.

How to Prevent Damage to Plants

• Tie Up Plants: Before the snow, use plant netting to tie up the branches of your conifers and soft shrubs, to prevent them from being misshapen or broken by snow. Tie them in a cone shape, to deflect snow off to the sides.
• Move Containers: Put planters and containers under a shed or porch during snow and ice storms to keep freezing water from expanding and breaking containers.
• Keep Off Grass: Snow covered grass is fragile, easily uprooted, and susceptible to fungal diseases under the snow. Reducing foot traffic will help the snow stay light and melt faster, and it will keep your grass blades firmly rooted.


Frozen container plant.

• Avoid Salt: Salt can damage lawns and plants when it runs off your driveway. If your plants have been exposed to salt, water and rinse them well as soon as temperatures are above freezing. Next time, use sand or clay-based kitty litter instead of salt.
• Prune Damaged Limbs: Head outdoors as soon as the ice melts to assess damage. Cracked branches can sometimes heal if they’re firmly tied back in place. Broken branches should be pruned away immediately to prevent injury and disease. Ragged tears are very susceptible to infection, so remove damaged wood using clean cuts.
• Wait for Spring: The extent of the damage often won’t be clear until spring, when you find out if your plant will be able to spring back into shape. Wait for spring to do any staking or reshaping of bent plants, since winter branches are extremely brittle. In the spring they’ll be much more supple.

Further Information

• How to Protect Your Garden from Frost and Freeze
• When to Water Plants Before a Freeze

Related posts:

• Fall Yard and Garden Maintenance
• January Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• How to Protect Your Garden from Frost and Freeze

I Heard a Bird Sing

I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December,
A magical thing,
And sweet to remember:
“We are nearer to Spring
Than we were in September,”
I heard a bird sing
In the dark of December.
- Oliver Herford

In December, many of us turn our attention to the holidays, to lights and wreaths and cheerful displays that will chase away the darkness of the short, cold days. Late December marks the winter solstice, the longest night of the year, and we officially turn the corner into the season of winter. Gardeners begin to find some rest in December, and if you’re like me, the fireplace beckons more loudly than the yard. Nonetheless, on sunny days it’s good to get outdoors and to take care of a few gardening chores during the month.

Don’t prune flower buds off of early bloomers like camellias!

Shrubs and Trees

• In zones 8 and higher, protect your tender citrus trees and ornamental shrubs from a surprise frost by covering them with burlap or other fabric. Drape the fabric over wooden stakes or a simple frame to keep it from coming in contact with the leaves of the plant. Remove the covering as soon as the weather warms.
• Prune dormant trees and shrubs, and winter-flowering shrubs after they finish blooming.
• Take cuttings to root indoors.
• In zones 7 and warmer, apply dormant spray to take care of overwintering insect eggs.
• In zones 9 and warmer, you can plant bare-root trees and shrubs, roses, and fruit trees.
• If you planted new trees this fall, inspect the stakes and guy wires to make sure they’re still straight and firm.
• Firmly stake leggy shrubs and saplings to prevent breakage in winter weather.
• Gently remove snow from boughs only if it is heavy enough to threaten breakage – otherwise leave it for insulation. Do not attempt to remove ice.
• Water plants if there has been insufficient rain, or if your plants are protected under eaves or larger trees.

Plant seeds indoors for a head start this spring.

Perennials and Bulbs

• If you’ve been chilling bulbs for winter forcing, they can be brought out once they have plenty of roots and have been chilled for 2-4 months.
• Continue planting spring bulbs as long as the ground isn’t frozen.
• Plant gift bulbs—such as amaryllis and paperwhites—in containers.
• Inspect your stored tender bulbs, and remove any rotten or diseased ones. If they are looking dry or wrinkled, mist the storage medium with a little water.
• Start seeds indoors in a warm window or under a grow light.

Annuals and Containers

• Watch out for pot breakage due to freezing! Keep container plants in protected areas, and move empty pots into storage.
• Add some color and cheer to your containers by tucking in evergreen cuttings or berries.
• Don’t forget to water your containers.

Lawns

• Even cool-season grasses are going dormant by now. Keep leaves picked up, or mulch some into the lawn. Minimize the stress on your lawn by raking gently.
• Avoid walking or driving on frozen grass.

Grape vine cuttings make nice wreaths and decorations.

Fruits and Vegetables

• Prune grape vines.
• In cold climates, winterize blackberry and raspberry canes by bundling the canes, bending them over to the ground, and covering with soil or mulch.
• Zones 8 and warmer can enjoy planting and tending winter vegetables such as spinach, broccoli, cabbage, and lettuce.
• Prepare beds for planting in the spring.

Houseplants

• Ah, something green to focus on in the winter! Make sure your plants are out of drafts and in the brightest spot possible.
• Increase humidity by sitting groups of plants on trays of pebbles. Add water to the pebbles (but not deep enough to soak into the roots of the plant).
• If, back in September, you started your Christmas cactus and poinsettias on a regime of 14 hours of darkness per day, you can bring them out now into a bright spot. They should be kept relatively cool and away from heat sources and drafts. Don’t over water.
• Keep houseplants free of dust. Wipe glossy-leaved plants gently with a sponge, and lightly rinse other plants in the sink or tub with a fine spray of water.
• Reduce fertilization of houseplants.
• If you receive plants as gifts, poke holes in the gift foil and sit on a tray to allow for drainage.

Cleanup and Maintenance

• Continue adding mulch to trees, shrubs, and planting beds.
• If the ground does not freeze in your climate, you can address drainage issues by burying drainage pipes, routing downspouts, and installing French drains. The winter landscape often makes it easier to spot drainage issues.
• Cold wind and rain can wreak havoc on garden tools. Bring them indoors and be sure to clean and oil them thoroughly.
• Winterize all lawn and garden equipment according to the manufacturer’s instructions.
• If you’ve never ordered plants or seeds before, check out some garden catalogs. Once you see how many beautiful plants are out there, you’ll be hooked!
• Keep bird feeders filled, and make sure the feed doesn’t get moldy or frozen.
• Make sure your garden hoses are drained and put away, and that outdoor faucets are covered and insulated.
• Be careful when installing holiday decorations and lights! Make sure lights and cords are waterproof and approved for exterior use. Also make sure they are firmly secured and out of the way of foot traffic.

Related posts:

• January Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• February Lawn & Garden To-Do List
• November Lawn & Garden To-Do List

Trees provide a lifetime of beauty, clean air, shade, and shelter. If you’re shopping for trees for a new landscape or to enhance your existing one, you may be overwhelmed by the hundreds of species and varieties of trees available.

One of the best ways to narrow down your choices is to determine the purpose of the trees in your landscape design, so you can choose varieties with the right characteristics. Here are some of the primary uses and types of trees in home landscapes.

Shade Trees

Who doesn’t love the shade of a tree on a hot summer’s day? If planted in the right spot, these trees can also shade your home and significantly lower your cooling bills.

Shade trees are usually:

• Dense with broad leaves. As air passes through the tree, it will be cooled by the leaves. For lighter shade, choose trees with finer foliage.
• Tall and rounded or vase-shaped, with room to walk underneath the branches.
• Deciduous trees that lose their leaves in the fall. In winter the bare branches allow sunlight through to heat your home. For maximum energy efficiency, plant deciduous trees on the southwest corner of a house (northwest in the southern hemisphere).
• Ornamental varieties that offer both beauty and function through flowers, fruits, or fall foliage.

Popular shade trees include:

• Ash
• Beech
• Elm
• Forest Eucalyptus
• Linden
• Maple
• Sourwood
• Sycamore

Specimen or Ornamental Trees

Specimen trees are planted by themselves, mainly for ornamental purposes. They are often used in lawn settings, as markers for entrances, or to provide shade for footpaths and seating areas. Since they’re intended as focal points, you shouldn’t have too many of them.

Specimen trees should have appeal for as many seasons as possible, so look for trees with attractive flowers, fall foliage, berries, unusual shapes, or interesting bark.

Specimen trees include:

• Crabapple
• Dogwood
• Flowering cherry
• Japanese maple
• Magnolia
• Redbud
• Willow

Street Trees

Trees planted along the street must be tough to withstand the stresses of traffic, pavement, heat, and poor soil. They also may need to be short enough to fit under power lines and compact enough to grow in a narrow strip of earth. They shouldn’t drop large fruits, nuts, or branches that could interfere with car or foot traffic.

Common street trees include:

• Crape Myrtle
• Elm
• Fringe tree
• Golden rain tree
• Holly
• Ironwood
• Oak
• Thornless honey locust

Windbreaks and Screening Trees

Windbreak trees are planted to provide a buffer against prevailing winds and storms. The best windbreak trees are dense evergreens which provide year round protection.

Windbreaks are also useful in the creation of microclimates in your yard, by providing extra shelter from frost and harsh weather. Windbreaks are best planted on the north side of your property (south side in the southern hemisphere), or as a buffer for prevailing winds.

Screening trees are a beautiful, economical way to provide privacy and reduce noise. For an effective screen, choose trees that are columnar in shape, with branches that start near the ground. They can be planted in a row or grouped more casually.

Some good windbreak and screening trees include:

• Arborvitae
• Fir
• Holly
• Leyland cypress

Fruit Trees

Fruit trees make excellent specimen trees while offering edible fruits for your table. Fruit trees usually need more pruning, pest control, and attention than other types of trees, but they reward you with lovely springtime blossoms and seasonal fruits to enjoy.

Popular fruit trees include:

• Apple
• Cherry
• Fig
• Lemon
• Orange
• Peach
• Plum
• Pear

Further Information

• How to Choose a Tree for Your Yard (video)
• Landscape Trees for Specific Uses (University of Arkansas)
• Tree Placement on Home Grounds (University of Missouri)

Related posts:

• How to Select and Care for a Live Christmas Tree
• Mulberry Trees Make Great Addition to Yard
• How to Recycle a Christmas Tree

One of the best ways to landscape a yard quickly is by planting balled and burlapped (B&B) trees and shrubs. Balled and burlapped plants are usually larger than container-grown plants and can give an instant finished appearance. Other than their size and weight, they’re easy to plant, here’s how.

Balled and burlapped plants are actually transplants.

Balled and burlapped trees and shrubs are grown in the ground while container-grown plants are grown in pots. When large enough, field-grown plants are carefully dug up and the root balls wrapped in burlap to hold the roots and soil together. The burlap may be natural (which biodegrades after planting) or synthetic (which doesn’t). While balled and burlapped may be stored for short periods of time at the garden center, they should be planted as soon as possible.

Select Plant

When choosing a tree or shrub, examine it to make sure the branches look healthy and the trunk is strong. Don’t buy a plant with damaged bark, scratches from too-tight twine, or spots that look rotten or diseased. As much as you can, pull back the burlap to make sure the roots are healthy and white and not girdling (growing in a tight circle).

Planting depth is one of the most important factors.

Preparation

Early spring is the ideal time to plant balled and burlapped trees and shrubs, with fall a close runner-up. In general, you can plant anytime the soil isn’t frozen, though some trees (such as oak, magnolia, dogwood, Bradford pear, willow, and cherry) are slower to establish roots and do better when planted in spring.

Choose shrubs and trees that are compatible with your growing conditions. Native trees and shrubs will establish much faster and will need less soil amendments. Before planting, conduct a soil test to see if amendments are needed, and check your planting site for water drainage. Remember that roots will extend far beyond your planting hole, so don’t rely too heavily on amendments to correct soil problems.

Tools and Materials

Tools and materials need include:

• Shovel and mattock or pick-axe
• Work gloves
• Tarp or wheelbarrow
• Scissors or utility knife
• Bolt or wire cutters
• Pruning shears
• Hose or watering can
• Soil amendments
• Mulch
• Tree or shurb
• Tree guard (optional)

Step 1: Dig Hole

Using the shovel and/or mattock, carefully dig a hole that is exactly as deep as the root ball and up to 2-3 times as wide, with roughened sides. The wider the hole, the better, but don’t make it deeper than the root ball. You want the roots to sit on undisturbed soil, so the plant won’t sink later. Put the excess dirt on your tarp, wheelbarrow, or in a container, and stir in any soil amendments that are needed.

Planting hole should be wide and shallow.

Step 2: Position Plant

Lift your tree or shrub by the root ball (never the trunk), and carefully place it in the planting hole. Make sure the root ball is exactly level with the soil surface, never deeper. Untie any twine holding the branches, and turn the plant so that it’s plumb and in a pleasing position.

Step 3: Partial Backfill

Backfill the hole with soil about 1/3 of the way, just enough to hold the plant in place. Firm the soil and add water to settle this first layer.

Make sure tree or shrub is plumb and balanced before filling hole.

Step 4: Remove Wrappings

Once the plant is firmly supported, begin removing the twine, wire cage, and burlap. Some gardeners prefer to leave as much burlap in place as possible (arguing that it will decompose over time), but it’s better to remove as much as you can. If the burlap is synthetic, remove it all.

Using the scissors, knife, and wire cutters, carefully cut away and gently work loose the wrappings and ties. Inspect the root ball carefully, and loosen any tightly wrapped or circling roots so they’re positioned to grow outward and down.

Balled and burlapped trees and shrubs are often grown in clay soil to help hold the roots together. You may want to use your hands to gently remove some of this soil to reduce any problems caused by the difference in soil texture at your planting site.

Step 5: Finish Backfill

Continue adding soil to the hole, gently firming it without heavy pack. Make sure the root ball stays level with the surface of the soil, and don’t heap soil over the top. Use the extra soil to create a small berm around the outside edge of the planting hole to help retain water.

A berm around the hole helps direct water to the roots.

Step 6: Water

Water your new tree or shrub thoroughly, filling the reservoir you’ve created and allowing the water to soak in slowly. After the water has been absorbed, add soil to any sunken spots. Water your new tree or shrub regularly for the first year. Once you see new leaf and stem growth, you can add some balanced fertilizer to the waterings.

Step 7: Mulch

Add 3”- 4” of mulch to help insulate the roots and hold in moisture. Don’t pile mulch up against the trunk – the crown of the plant should not be smothered or buried any deeper than it was already growing.

Step 8: Inspect and Support

Prune away any dead or diseased branches. Remove any remaining tags and twine. Firmly tie or stake your tree if needed.

Step 9: Add Tree Guard

If desired, add a tree guard to protect the trunk from critter and sun damage.

Tree guards often come as a soft wrapping.

Further Information

• How to Plant a Tree (Casey Trees, PDF 3mb)
• How to Plant a Balled and Burlapped Tree (Fine Gardening, video)
• Planting and Transplanting Landscape Trees and Shrubs (Purdue)
• How to Plant Container Grown Trees and Shrubs (article)
• How to Choose a Tree for Your Yard (video)
• How to Plant a Bare Root Tree (video)

Related posts:

• How To Plant Container Grown Trees and Shrubs
• Can I Plant Trees and Shrubs in Late Fall or Winter?
• When to Trim Trees and Shrubs