But if you’re like us, you may want to keep your hands dirty and your thumbs green, so here are some activities for gardeners during the winter (reprinted courtesy of: Emmitsberg.net)

Activities for Gardeners in the Winter Months:

• It is a good time to clean and repair your garden tools. Check the rototiller, lawn mower and sharpen tools.
• Transplant and maintain your houseplants.

Divide some of your plants to start as gifts for upcoming holidays such as Easter and Mother’s Day.

Starting African violets from leaf cuttings is an easy skill to learn. Select a leaf of medium size, slide your finger down the leaf stem and push down at the base. The stem should break away from the parent plant. Leave the stem on the leaf, and dip the stem in rooting powder. Insert the stem at an angle into the soil mix. Place the leaf and pot in a plastic bag, blow in some air and tie it shut. Keep the bag in bright light but not direct sun. If you see mold or moisture in the bag, open it for a few hours to let the excess water evaporate. The stem will root in about a month. When the leaves are an inch long open the bag. In 6 to 8 weeks small leaves will form at the base of the leaf. When they get to be half the size of the mother leaf, carefully separate them from the mother leaf and repot the plants individually. The plants should blossom in six months, if given bright light, warm temperatures and fertilizer.

• Build a bird feeder or purchase one. Watching birds in the winter is a great activity for the whole family. Buy an inexpensive bird identification book, which will make this activity even more fun. Try putting out different birdseed mixes to see whether different birds come to feed.
• Sprout seeds for eating. They do not require light for germination and are very nutritious. You can buy alfalfa seeds at a health food store and they will sprout in a short period of time.
• Now is the time to get a bargain on Amaryllis and Paper Whites. Buy a couple and start them at different times to have a continual bloom during the winter.
• Consider purchasing or even building an “Indoor Grow Lab” that will allow you to start plants from seeds, propagate root cuttings, raise flowering foliage and vegetable plants, force plants to flower and experiment with how plants respond to light. Instructions for building a lab are available at the Extension Office or library, if you are handy with woodworking tools. The cost will probably be $100 – $150.
• Visit a local nursery and drink in the beauty of what is growing and blooming.
• Attend a flower show in your local area – they usually begin to be scheduled in February and March.

Another important winter gardening activity is to start planning your spring planting. How about re-designing the layout of your garden and plotting which plants will go where. And check out local and online nurseries for end of season sales on bulbs, seeds, equipment and more.

As a gardener, what do you do during the winter? Leave a comment on this article or click here to use our handy contact form to let us know! We would love to hear from you.

Tropical Hibiscus will typically have shiny dark green leaves that are 3-6″, double or single flowers that are red, pink, orange, yellow, salmon, peach, lavender, or white. Tropical hibiscus may also have more than one color in a bloom. Your tropical hibiscus will only tolerate a night or two of light freezes. One hard freeze could kill them. They are native to sunny, warm humid tropical places. You may want to bring them indoors before temperatures drop below 40 degrees. Tropical hibiscus will typically live up to 5 years in a pot.

Hardy perennial Hibiscus will typically have a dull lighter green heart shaped leaves with white, pink or red flowers that can range from a petite 3 or 4 inches to dinner plate size, 8 to 12 inches in diameter with huge 2-4″ in length buds. Hardy hibiscus will need very little care in winter. Their roots are hardy to about zone 5 (click here to learn about hardiness zones) and they will die to the ground each year.

Before you bring your tropical hibiscus inside you will need to cut it back to about 4-5 inches from the main stems. You will need to make clean cuts with a sharp pruning shears. This will help to eliminate the insects and bugs that are on the tips of the branches. Remove all the dead leaves, old flowers that are on you plant or in the pot.

Wash the plant carefully with water making sure to wash the stems and under leaves for any insects and bugs. Let the plant dry thoroughly before bringing inside. You may see some of the leaves turn yellow and fall off once you bring your plant inside, this is normal. Let the soil become dry before watering and don’t let any water sit and collect under the plant in the tray. You may want to mist the leaves daily to help with the low humidity.

Once you bring your tropical hibiscus indoors you will need a bright sunny area or fluorescent lights. Tropical hibiscus will do well with indoor temperatures between 55 and 70 degrees. If your tropical hibiscus is planted in the ground you will need to dig them up and plant them in a pot. But be aware that this may put your hibiscus in shock because they will not generate new roots easily at this time of year and may develop root rot.

Because the roots of your trees are above ground, they will be exposed to colder temperatures than trees that are growing in the ground. Containers are exposed to air on all four sides, and also the top and bottom. You will need to keep the soil temperatures in the pots above freezing.

If you can, move the containers to a protected area. If you can’t move them, follow these steps:

• Group your potted trees and plants together
• Thoroughly water the plants (do not feed)
• Construct a protective cage around each plant from the pot to the top of the tree/plant using chicken wire or similar material
• Fill each cage fully with straw, mulch, wood chips, or shredded leaves
• Wrap each insulated plant/tree with burlap from top to bottom

In the spring, be sure to wait until there is no further threat of frost before gently unwrapping each plant/tree.

For more information about protecting trees in winter, please click here to visit: Gurney’s Seed and Nursery.

Have a question for our garden experts? Click here and use our handy contact form to ask anything about growing and caring for plants, trees, shrubs, gardens and more.

Mulch:

Mulching will keep the moisture in the ground and help protect your trees and shrubs from drying out over winter.

Mulching will give new roots more time to develop for recently planted trees and shrubs. It will help minimize the effect of freezing and thawing of the soil during the late winter and early spring season.
You will need to apply a four to six inch layer of mulch around the base of the tree or shrub. This will prevent heaving by maintaining a more constant soil temperature. You do not want to mulch up against the trunk of the tree or main stem of the shrub.
Mulch also prolongs plant dormancy in the spring and reduces the chance of late spring frost injury to new leaves and flowers.

Sunscald:

Sunscald is an injury to the trunk of young trees. Sometimes called Southwest injury, because it usually occurs on the southwest side of young trees. Sunscald occurs on warm winter days as the sun shines and heats up the bark on the tree trunk, cells within the tree break dormancy and become active. When the sun sets and the temperatures get colder and the bark temperature drops rapidly, the active cells are killed. This bark may look sunken, cracked or discolored. By spring, the discolored bark may crack and fall off. Young trees, newly planted trees, and thin-barked trees (cherry, crabapple, honey locust, linden, maple, mountain ash, plum) are most susceptible to Sunscald. You can protect these trees from Sunscald by wrapping the trunk with tree wrap.

Tree wrap is put on in the fall and must be removed in the spring to prevent disease and insect damage. Your young trees may need to be wrapped every year until their bark has thickened.

Water:

Stop watering once the ground is frozen; trees and shrubs no longer absorb water after that time.
Salt Damage:

Salt that is used for de-icing sidewalks and roads in winter can cause damage to your trees and shrubs. Damage occurs when salt is deposited on dormant stems, buds and needles of trees and shrubs. Salt can damage roots, foliage; can cause stem injury and reduce growth. To help prevent damage to trees and shrubs install a screen to act as a barrier. A screen can also protect your plants from wind and sun.

Pest Control:

Rabbits, mice and deer can cause damage to plants in Winter. These animals feed on the tender bark and foliage during winter months. Clear away weeds, leaves, tall grass and fruit from around your yard and around trees and shrubs. This will help reduce the nesting material and deter pests from making their winter home at your home. You can also put up tree guards around your tree trunks.

For products to help you protect your plants, trees and shrubs in winter, please visit Henry Fields Seed and Nursery

Need any other tips for your winter garden? Click here to send us your question!

Preparing your vegetable garden in the fall will help make your gardening chores easier for next seasons spring plantings.

Fall is the time to prepare perennial vegetables for winters cold temperatures. Remove dead stems and foliage to prevent the spread of disease and insects. Cover with mulch to prevent root damage.

If you will be tilling your garden before winter, leave plants in the soil and till the beds under with organic matter, like leaves and grass clippings.  Diseased plants should not be tilled in the garden. Toss them in the trash.

Leaves and plants that are tilled into the garden in the fall season will have time to compost and release valuable nutrients to the soil as well as improving soil structure.

Tilling your garden in the fall will not only add valuable nutrients to the soil but will also expose many insects, larvae and pupae to the winters cold conditions ending their life cycle. Covering your tilled garden with mulch will help prevent the soil from washing away and will keep down the winter weeds.

If you will not be tilling your garden until spring, remove all plants and put them in your compost pile. Any diseased plants should be tossed in the trash.

Wait until spring planting time to apply fertilizer to your garden. Applying fertilizer in the fall will only wash away before it’s time to plant your garden.

Bringing in your house plants before it gets too cold out will help your plants avoid the shock of sudden changes in  temperature, humidity and light.

Here are a few tips to help your plants adjust to living indoors again:

Before bringing in your plants:

• Clean your windows inside and out. Clean windows let in more sunlight.
• Move plants in the shade about 2 weeks before bringing them indoors. This will help prepare them for the drop in light in your home. Once inside your house your houseplants may have some yellowing leaves or dropping leaves from not having enough light. You may need to add light from a fluorescent glow light.
• Soak your pots up to their rims in a tub full of lukewarm water to force insects like ants, sow bugs, millipedes, and ground beetles to the surface. Insects that are living in the soil will either drown or float to the surface so you can remove them.
• Inspect for other insects. Other insects like aphids, spider mites, scales and slugs will be happily living in the foliage of your plant. Inspect the foliage thoroughly. Wash the plants leaves carefully with water before bringing the plant inside. You could also use
  Plant Guardian Houseplant Insecticidal Soap to wash off the leaves.
• Stop fertilizing. Most plants need a rest period, or dormancy. Fertilizing when plants aren’t actively growing results in a buildup of fertilizer salts in the soil that can damage plant roots.
• Don’t over water You probably watered your container plants every day during the summer but indoors they will not require that much water. Let the soil surface get dry to the touch before watering.

Plants that have outgrown their pots over their summer vacation will need to be re-potted.

To check for crowded roots, turn the pot upside down while supporting the plant with one hand on the surface of the soil. Ease the plant out of the pot. You may need to give the bottom of the pot a few taps to loosen the root ball.  If there is a mass of roots and very little soil, then you will need to repot into a larger container. If the root ball looks good but there is a heavy top growth you may want to prune the top.

Add Pot Stickers to your new and old pots to help keep insect infestations to a minimum.

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Click here to find out the frost dates for your city/state (Canadian city/province frost date info also) or contact your local county extension service or a local nursery. They will be able to give you your last frost date which is the last date it’s expected to frost in the spring and your first frost date, the first date that is expected to frost in the fall. Just remember these dates are approximate. Depending on the weather conditions in your region, frost dates can vary from year to year. So use these dates as a guideline.

Frost and Freeze

Frost occurs when the temperature reaches 32 degrees and water vapor freezes on a surface. It will usually occur on a clear night when heat radiates up from the ground. Water vapor condenses and tiny ice crystals form.

Freeze occurs when the temperature drops below 32 degrees for a long period of time. A hard freeze is usually when the temperature is 25 degrees or below.

Be prepared to cover your flowers and plants should an unseasonable frost occur. You can cover your plants with row covers or with items you may have around your home, like cloth, plastic or paper. If it’s going to be extremely cold, try to drape the cover over your plants and flowers without the cover touching them . Placing a layer of mulch will also help hold the heat to protect your plant from the cold.

Floating Row Covers

Floating row covers protect plants from frost, while letting in sunlight, water and air.

Learn more about frost and frost dates.