• Prepare beds for bare-root roses that will soon arrive in nurseries. Dig an area four feet wide and twelve inches deep for each plant, adding plenty of soil conditioner to the soil.

• Water poinsettias only as needed - when the top inch of the soil becomes dry to the touch. Keep them in bright light but cool temperatures. Do not fertilize until March.

• Now is a great time to drain and replace the oil in your mower and to have the blade sharpened or to replace it completely.

• It is easy to see the limb structure of trees now. Tie ribbon around the ones you think should be removed then step back for another look before cutting them off.

• On a sunny day fertilize pansies and ornamental cabbage with a product that contains "nitrate nitrogen". This nutrient is best for plants growing in cold soil



SECOND WEEK

• Small, leafless shrubs and trees can be transplanted easily now. Wait for a warm day when the ground is not frozen.

• Chop unwanted kudzu, English ivy and bamboo to the ground. Follow with weedkiller on the leaves in April.

• If the ground is dry, but cold, rototill the soil in your vegetable garden. You'll eliminate lots of insects, weeds and nematodes.

• Water pansies and ornamental kale after a hard freeze so they can re-hydrate their wilted leaves. Remember to regularly water window boxes and other outside plant containers.

• Give houseplants a half turn every month so they don't lean too much in one direction.



THIRD WEEK

• Check indoor plants for insects like spider mites, scale, and mealybugs. Remember to spray insecticidal soap or indoor houseplant insecticide on the undersides of leaves to get good pest control.

• Amaryllis flower stems and their faded blooms can be removed now. Treat it like a houseplant for the rest of the winter then plant outdoors in a sunny bed in May.

• Use calcium chloride or potassium chloride instead of salt on icy sidewalks. Too much rock salt (sodium chloride) can burn nearby plant roots.

• If temperatures drop below 20 degrees after a week-long warm spell, cover gardenias and camellias nightly with black plastic anchored to the ground on all sides.

• Write or call for your yearly supply of garden plant and seed catalogs. Buy an issue of a gardening magazine for addresses and phone numbers.



FOURTH WEEK

• Plant pansies and English daisies in a sunny bed when the weather is mild. Use plants in three inch or larger pots to make an immediate impact in your landscape.

• Look out for poison ivy when working outdoors. Even the leafless vine and branches can cause a powerful skin reaction if touched.

• Watch for brown edges on houseplant foliage. Mist the leaves twice each day and move them from drafty areas.

• Check on the tender bulbs (canna, caladium, dahlia) you stored indoors for the winter. If they are beginning to shrink, mist each one with warm water.

• Prune apple and pear trees and grape vines. For a free booklet on their care, call your local Extension office (404-897-6261).