Lawn and landscape

        • Avoid walking on frozen turf, or the crown of the frozen grass plant may be damaged.

        • Keep road and sidewalk salt away from plants. Construct a screen of burlap, if necessary, to keep salt spray off plants. (See related story on this page).

        • Make dormant cuttings of deciduous trees and shrubs such as hydrangea and viburnum. Root the cuttings in perlite or vermiculite beds in a cold frame or other protected place outside.

        Indoors

        • Send for seed catalogs for the garden. Order seeds and plants as early as possible for best selection.

        • Sketch your garden plans on paper, including spacing, arrangement and number of plants needed.

        • Build grow-light shelves to start seedlings indoors.

        • Clean pots and containers with a dilute bleach solution.

        • Plan your garden on paper, including what to grow, spacing, arrangement and number of plants needed.

        • Clean and sharpen garden tools.

        • Start a garden journal of daily or weekly garden activities and observations. This will be a valuable reference for planning future gardens.

        Houseplants

        • Repot houseplants as they outgrow their current pot. Roots growing out of the soil surface or through the drainage hole are a sign that it's time to repot.

        • Fertilize flowering plants, such as cyclamen and African violets, to keep them blooming.

        • Use fluorescent lights or special grow lights to supplement the sun for flowering houseplants that require bright light.

        • Keep holiday poinsettias and other plants near a bright window. Water as top of soil becomes dry.

        Eco tip

        Wood ashes from the fireplace can be spread in the garden, but don't overdo it. Wood ashes increase soil pH, and excess application can make some nutrients unavailable for plant uptake. Have soil tested to be certain of the pH before adding wood ash.

        Contact Sue Trusty by e-mail: strusty@isoc.net, or the Civic Garden Center Hotline: 221-8733.

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