The groundhog Phil saw his shadow in the small town of Punxsutawney, Pa. and predicted six more weeks of winter, but there is a lot that can be during these last cold weeks of winter.
Snow and ice on trees and shrubs
In winter,
the threat of damage from snow and ice is always near. When snow
piles up on evergreens, try to gently brush it off. Don’t shake
the branches as this may cause them to break. If the snow is frozen
on the branch and will not brush off easily, it is best to let it
melt naturally, to avoid damage to the tree or shrub.
If tree limbs break due to the weight of ice or snow, it is advisable
to have the broken limbs removed as soon as the weather permits.
Hanging branches can be a danger to passing pedestrians. Also, the
tree will be able to heal the wound better in spring if the wound
has clean edges instead of ragged tears.
Seed orders
If you order seeds from a catalog, get your
order in by the end of January. Early orders help insure that you
get the seeds you want and that you have them in time to start them
indoors if you want.
Warm spells in winter
Sometimes in the middle of winter,
there are suddenly a few warm days. For the most part, this is not
a big problem, but you may need to check on a couple of things.
If you covered your roses with rose cones, you may need to ventilate
the cone to prevent heat from building up inside. The same should
be done with coldframes. If it is a warm, sunny day, the temperatures
may be rising in the cold frame more than you expect. Remember to
close vents as the temperature drops again at night.
Prepare Garden Equipment for Spring
Avoid the spring rush by having your lawn mower and other gardening equipment serviced or
repaired now. Winter is also a great time to clean, sharpen and organize
your garden tools.
Winter Garden Cleanup
Winter is a good time to do some light
garden cleanup. Remove dead plant material
from the garden beds and pick up leaves that are left over from fall.
Toss them into your compost bin, or use them to mulch around perennials.
