Catching up
on your chores

Putting the garden to bed for the winter is a chore many of us just don’t get around to in the fall. Many of us put it off so long that we then have to combine winter cleanup with spring chores. But it’s not too late. The Tri-State usually is blessed with a few warmer days in January and February, so take advantage of this mild weather to catch up.

There are many reasons a garden should be cleaned up. For one thing, dead stalks of perennials and annuals surrounded by dried leaves and whatever trash has blown into your yard is not very attractive, and it’s a perfect place for harboring diseases and insects that could attack your plants in the spring. If you wait until spring to get rid of this mess, you may damage the young plants that are sprouting under it.

So, get mentally prepared, make sure your pruners and rake are handy, and jump on these chores the first chance you get:

-- Remove fallen leaves from your lawn and flower/vegetable beds. If possible, compost them for use in your garden next summer.

-- Remove all dead plant material from your beds. Compost it only if you’re sure it’s disease-free.

-- Cover the beds with a layer of compost or organic mulch, which will enrich the soil as well as offer some protection from freezing and thawing over winter.

-- If we haven’t had much rain, be sure to keep young trees and shrubs watered well throughout the winter. Although dormant, these plants still need water to survive.

-- After your flower beds are cleaned up, you may find cold-hardy weeds growing in them. Pull them up before they spread.

-- After cleaning up a vegetable or cut flower bed, till it so it will be ready to plant in early spring.

-- Lime and fertilize your beds, if needed.

-- Weed-infested lawns will benefit from an application of pre-emergent herbicide.

-- Check your arbors, trellises and lawn furniture and make whatever repairs are needed.

-- When all is finished, clean your garden tools. Scrape all the dirt off, sharpen them and spray the surface with a thin coat of oil to discourage rust. Store them in a safe location out of the harsh winter weather.