First Week
- On a sunny day fertilize pansies and ornamental cabbage with a product that contains "Nitrate Nitrogen".
- 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.
- 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.
Second Week
- Small, leafless shrubs and trees can be transplanted easily now. Wait for a warm day when the ground is not frozen.
- If the ground is dry, but cold, rototill the soil in your vegetable garden. You'll eliminate lots of insects, weeds and nematodes.
- Chop unwanted kudzu, English ivy, and bamboo to the ground. Follow with weedkiller on the leaves in April.
- 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.
Third Week
- 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.
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.
- 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.
- Look out for poison ivy when working outdoors. Even the leafless vine and branches can cause a powerful skin reaction if touched.
- Prune apple and pear trees and grape vines.
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