- Don't fertilize houseplants this month since they will grow
so little.
Poinsettias -- Keep poinsettias well-watered and away from
heat sources, such as ranges and fireplaces. They'll droop at the
drop of a hat.
- Rake leaves from the lawn to keep it from being too shaded
during wet weather.
- Use dolomite lime on the lawn every two or three years to
make the soil less acid and discourage moss.
- Avoid walking on the lawn if it's frozen or the soil is very
wet.
- In moderation, add the wood ash from your fireplace to your
compost heap.
- When shoveling or blowing snow, try to dump it atop
perennials -- as long as it doesn't have any salt in it. Snow
is often called "white mulch" and a good blanket of
it will protect plants from temperature extremes.
- Use calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride on your
walks. It does less damage to plants. Or, better yet, use
sand, which doesn't hurt your plants a bit
Tool Care -- If you haven't already, at the end of the
season, clean and oil hand tools and store.
If you have fish in an ornamental pond, in very cold regions,
consider adding a water heater so the fish will survive the
winter. Also be sure to keep the water level up. Water blocks a
large percentage of UVA rays, slowing damage to pond liners.
- Set out a nice big basket to hold all those garden catalogs
that have started arriving already so you can read them after
the holidays, at your leisure.
- After the holidays, you can recycle your live Christmas tree
by cutting off the branches and laying them around the base of
roses and other less cold-tolerant plants. Or tuck boughs of
the branches in windowboxes and pots for outdoor decoration
until spring.
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