Monthly Gardening Calendar
Sharon Morrisey, Consumer Horticulture Agent
University of Wisconsin-Extension in Milwaukee Co.

Winter has arrived at long last after a warm, lingering fall. Without the stimulus of cold temperatures, some plants didn't prepare adequately for the winter. Many trees and shrubs still haven't lost their leaves. They could really suffer if this winter brings us any extremely cold weather.

Let's hope for a good blanket of snow . It will help insulate the crowns and root systems of flowering perennials from the cold. It will also help prevent freezing and thawing of the soil which can actually push plants right up out of the ground, especially if transplanted just this year.

Wait until the ground freezes at least an inch deep before applying a protective layer of leaves or straw or compost to first year transplants, roses and strawberries.. This also gives the mice and voles time to set up house somewhere else instead of at the base of your plants where they would nibble all winter long.

Enjoy nature's beauty with live seasonal decorations like Christmas trees, wreaths, holly and mistletoe. Splurge on potted plants like poinsettias, Christmas cacti, azaleas, amaryllis and mums from your local florist. Give them as gifts. Bring flowers when you go visiting.

The gardeners on your list should be easy to buy for. There are tools and gloves and kneeling pads and books. Consider gift memberships to public gardens or nature centers. In Milwaukee County, Boerner Botanical Gardens, Wehr Nature Center, and the Mitchell Park Domes are a few favorites where gardeners and non-gardeners alike learn something new every time they visit.

In this month's calendar, the UWEX Infosource documents are available for further discussion on a topic.  Just follow the link under the paragraph of that topic.

First Week

Buy or cut-your-own fresh Christmas tree. Bring it home inside of the car or wrapped in a sheet or tarp. Be sure to recut the stem end just before placing it in the stand so it can absorb water. Keep it watered; never let it dry out. Check the water level twice a day at first since it can use between 1 pint and 1 gallon of water a day.
    

Buy bundles of greens or lightly prune some of your own needle evergreens to make personalized wreaths and holiday decorations. Arborvitae, pine, and spruce are the most long lasting choices. 

Bulbs being chilled for forcing should be brought out now in order for them to be in flower for the holidays. Water and place them in a sunny location since bright light is required to prevent stretching and pale leaves. The warmer the conditions, the faster they will progress.

Protect young trees and shrubs from gnawing of mice, voles, and rabbits. Cover trunks with plastic guards or hardware cloth (paper tree wrap will probably not deter them). Surround multi-stemmed and low branching trees and shrubs with chicken wire or hardware cloth held securely against the ground and tall enough to protect branches as high up as a rabbit can reach when on its hind legs on top of a snow bank.. Remove tall grass and weeds from the bases of trees since small rodents will nest and feed on the bark there.

Use tree wrap to protect the bark of young, newly transplanted trees from sunscald and cracking. Without it the effects of daily warming by the sun and subsequent freezing may split large sections of bark. With paper, start at the base and wrap upward and then secure with masking tape or twine. Make a note to remove this next spring.
      

Combine several tactics to scare away animals that can damage your plants in the winter. Shiny, noisy, moving objects hung in the garden along with bags of human hair or soap can be used in addition to commercial repellents or ones prepared at home. Remember to reapply these substances often since most of them lose their potency quickly.

Check your yard, garage or tool shed for garden products and equipment that should be stored indoors for the winter. Liquids should not be allowed to freeze. Pesticides should be stored locked, out of the reach of children, and in their original containers. Plastic sprayers and rubber and vinyl hoses should be stored empty, preferably indoors.

Second Week

If the ground is finally frozen an inch or so deep, it is now safe to apply winter mulches to perennial flowers, roses and strawberries. This will insulate them from the cold above ground and help reduce the fluctuations of temperatures in the soil throughout the season, which can heave them from the ground.

Surround rose bushes with chicken wire cages and fill with up to two feet of chopped, dry leaves to protect them for the winter. Covering the crowns with several inches of soil or compost first and placing the chicken wire on top of the mound after it has frozen is ideal. Tie canes together with cloth strips or nylons to keep them from rubbing when they are blown by the wind. Leave them uncut, however, until next spring when you will know how much was killed and therefore how much to prune out.

Pile soil or compost over the crowns of garden chrysanthemums and then add 2" of mulch on top. Cut stems back to within a few inches of this mound.

A thick layer of straw over root crops like potatoes, parsnips, and carrots as well as parsley and leeks may hold them for use well into the winter.

Mulch strawberries with straw, leaves, or evergreen boughs. It needs to be 6" deep after it has packed down.
 

Shield broadleaf evergreens like rhododendron and boxwood from sun and wind. Evergreen boughs stuck stem end into the ground can protect small plants without looking too unnatural. Or use burlap and stakes to loosely surround but not completely cover them especially on the windward side. 

Evergreens growing close to roads where fast moving traffic produces a salty spray over the winter may also need protecting.

Third Week

Buy holiday gift plants to give as hostess gifts wherever you go. This year try some new ones in addition to the traditional poinsettias. Cyclamen and Christmas cactus are good choices for people who like to keep their houses on the cool side. Also look for Jerusalem Cherry, ornamental peppers, and kalanchoes. Be sure to cover these during transport even a short distance - most are very sensitive to temperatures below 50 - 55 degrees.

Floral arrangements should be kept cool and out of the sun. Contrary to common belief, arrangements and cut flowers should be watered with very warm water. Recut flower stem ends first and then condition them in a very cool spot for several hours before bringing out into warmer rooms. Every couple of days, recut the stem ends, wash the vase with soap or bleach, and refill with warm floral preservative water. Substitute non-diet lemon lime soda or vinegar and a drop of bleach for the preservative if necessary.

Check stored vegetables and non-hardy bulbs like canna, dahlia, and gladiolus for mildew and rot. Remove affected items immediately.

Avoid rock salt, which is sodium chloride, to melt sidewalk and driveway ice. Products made of calcium chloride or potassium chloride cause less damage to plants. For traction, sprinkle sand, kitty litter, or wood ashes. Mix with a little melting compound if more than just traction is needed.

Fourth Week

Watch your new holiday gift plants closely and move them if they seem to be suffering in the spot you originally chose for them. Most of them need bright but indirect light and must be kept out of drafts as well as away from the hot air from heat vents, fireplaces, and TV's.

Adjust your indoor plant watering practices as needed according to the weather conditions. The shortest day of the year is December 21st and the reduced light slows plant water use and therefore also fertilizer use considerably. (Take heart - from here on out, every day gets a little longer. Believe it or not, winter is waning!)

Groom indoor plants to clean leaves, remove fallen leaves and faded flowers. Cleaning removes dust, spray materials, and grease that can clog leaf pores. Hand dust large-leaved plants with a pair of old socks or gloves on both hands. Put a group of plants in the shower if hand washing is not possible. Cover large areas of exposed soil with foil or plastic.

Clean garden tools with a wire brush and apply a light coat of oil to protect them from rusting. Sharpen edges of hoes and spades. Clean, readjust and sharpen the blades of pruning tools.

Winterize your lawn mower by running the engine dry, draining and replacing the oil, cleaning the air filter, oiling the plug, and wiping clean the engine. Now is a great time to take it in for a tune-up and blade sharpening so its ready as soon as that first surge of growth comes in the spring.

Take an exercise break and go turn the compost pile. The cold outdoor temperatures make this a less frequent task but it is still necessary if you want your pile to keep "working" this winter, however, slowly.

Do not prune trees or shrubs until the end of the dormant season or just as growth resumes in the spring.

Delay pruning of raspberries and grapes until early next spring. Bearing canes of summer-bearing raspberries should have been pruned down to the ground after harvest this summer. Ever-bearing raspberries can be pruned to remove all canes after the fall crop, which will help minimize the carryover of disease problems. Managed this way, only a fall crop will be produced but it will be more fruitful than if they are grown for two harvests a year. Prune back the tips of all canes next spring regardless.