- Cover strawberry beds with 2″ of straw (not hay). This will protect the plants from cold and winds, control weeds and warm the soil earlier in the spring.
- Clean up all fallen leaves from blueberry beds, then add a 2″ thick layer of pine needles, straw or pine bark mulch around the plants. This will insulate the roots during the winter.
- Sharpen, clean and repair all hand tools before storing them.
- If rainfall has been light, deeply water all trees and shrubs before frosts.
- Protect any half-hardy shrubs by surrounding them with a wire cage and cover them with a thick layer of dry leaves.
- Wrap the trunks of young trees to protect their tender bark from frost injury.
- If you haven’t already, cut grass low to prevent mold from forming under snow cover.
- After first frost, cover perennials with mulch; this will prevent frost-thaw cycles from heaving them out of the ground.
- Turn the compost pile and add water if it feels dry.
- Prune roses back to 8″-12″ tall, mound compost around the bud union and cover with a rose cone.
- Continue raking and shredding leaves to add to the compost pile.
- Mulch plants you want to overwinter with a thick layer of straw.
- Still time to plant spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils and tulips.
- If you didn’t do it last month, cut back perennials, clean all beds of leaves and weeds and edge your lawn.
- Don’t feed your houseplants through the winter, but give them as much light as possible.
- Clean the foliage of houseplants that will tolerate it (those with smooth, un-fuzzy leaves). Wash both sides. This removes the dust, which allows them to breathe better; it also gives you a great opportunity to check for insects.
- Make sure you allow your houseplants to dry out between watering’s; they do not use as much water in winter as they do in the spring.
- Pot up some heat-loving herbs and bring them inside to a sunny window for the winter.
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