Break out the Winter gear the cold temperatures are here! With all of the Holiday festivities it's easy to forget about the garden here is a list of easy to do's that will keep your garden interesting and more importantly healthy.
Lawn Care
Now is the perfect time to deal with crabgrass. Crabgrass will die off in the colder months, but it leaves behind seeds that will sprout in the Spring. Take preventative measures now by using fertilizers that deter crabgrass seeds from growing. It is still appropriate to fertilize your lawn monthly during the winter months. Ask your local nursery for help to determine that right fertilizer for your lawn.
Planting
Think green for The Holidays, instead of buying a Christmas tree from a lot or cutting one down on a farm, use a live tree to deck your halls. Choose a classic like a Blue Spruce or a sheared Redwood, decorate with small lights and lightweight ornaments for a traditional and eco-friendly holiday. Make sure to place a cork pad to protect your floors surface, place in a clear plastic saucer to collect excess water. When using a live tree you want to keep it indoors for only a week to 10 days, place it in an area with plenty of light, but far away from the fireplace and other heat sources that will dry it out.
Brighten up your winter garden by planting primroses, pansies, azaleas, camellias, or Iceland poppies
Maintenance
Protect plants from frost by spraying with cloud cover before frost is expected. You can also cover plants with plant blankets or even cardboard boxes, making sure not to allow the box to touch the plant. Did you decorate your yard with holiday lights? You may want to keep them up a little longer. You can actually raise the temperature around plants enough with holiday lights to protect them from frost. Prune fruit trees, roses, and other leafless trees and shrubs from December though January.
DO NOT PRUNE SPRING BLOOMING TREES AND SHRUBS !
Remove snow periodically from evergreen branches, especially delicate evergreens like Boxwood. When the snow builds up it can become heavy enough to break branches. Try not to shovel salted snow on your plant, better yet try a non-damaging deicer, they are effective, and are much better for your garden.
