The winter months can bring extremely cold weather to our area.  It is important during these times to keep your plants from freezing. 

The best choice for covering your plants is with cloth sheets such as old bed sheets or towels.  Cloth allows natural air flow around the plants.  Another good material to use if Tyvek, an outdoor house wrap.  What I do not recommend are plastic bags.  Plastic garbage bags actually prevent the flow of air and trap moisture which can then make the plants freeze. 

Gently cover your plants by laying the cloth over them in the evening.  Use rocks to hold down the edges if strong wind is expected.  When the weather warms, remove the cloth sheets and let them dry out until the next cold night.

Remember to bring container plants indoors.  Even if you put them in your garage, they will be better protected from the threat of freezing weather.

We tend to think that when winter arrives we don’t need to do much to our lawns, but now is the time to pay some extra attention to your lawn so that when spring arrives it can quickly green up.

- Keep fallen leaves off your grass.

- Use a stiff tine rack to remove leaves and patches of dead grass.

• - Reduce watering but make sure your lawn has adequate moisture especially if you have planted rye seed.

• - If you need to cut your lawn, raise your mower.