Mon
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Tue
1
Start fresh
Now’s the time to plan for next year’s garden. It’s seed ordering time and a chance to walk in the garden, pondering what should go where when the planting begins. |
Wed
2
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Thu
3
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Fri
4
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Sat
5
Time for seeds
Get your seed orders together, as there are tons of choices out there. It’s always fun to grow something completely different! |
Sun
6
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7
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8
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9
Houseplant care
Give your houseplants a shower. Take them into your tub and let the water run over them. It flush out any salts in the soil and wash off the foliage. |
10
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11
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12
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13
Catch up on reading
Enjoy your time away from the garden and read a cool gardening book. |
14
Start your garden journal
Now’s the time to start your garden journal, either writing down your thoughts in a physical journal or electronically. A garden journal helps you remember what worked, what didn’t and how you felt about the season. |
15
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16
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17
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18
Check your bulbs
Check any stored bulbs and tubers to see how they are doing. If you find rot, remove any failing plant material. If they are drying out, add a little moisture. |
19
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20
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21
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22
Tree care
It’s time to start a seasonal care program for your fruit trees. Applying dormant oils will smother overwintering insects. |
23
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24
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25
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26
Add mulch
This is a great time to mulch. The ground is hard, and the mulch will stop frost heaving as the ground freezes and thaws. |
27
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28
Seed testing
Test germination rates of old seeds. Take 10 seeds, put them in a moist paper towel and then a releasable plastic bag. Store the bag in a warm place and see what sprouts in a week. If germination is 50 percent or higher, keep them for spring sowing. |
29
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30
Winter Botany Walk & Talk with Doug Oster
Everybody Gardens editor Doug Oster, and Pittsburgh Botanic Garden executive director Keith S. Kaiser will lead a winter walk through the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden. Lunch and admission to the Garden are included with registration. 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. |
31
Pruning time
This is the start of the pruning season. Before a cut is made, research the plant to find out when it puts on flowers. You don’t want to prune buds off a spring bloomer. |