This calendar is provided as a general guide to gardening activities.
Make an inventory of the plants in your home landscape. Note their location and past performance. Plan changes on paper first.
Some plants are sensitive to the fluorine and chlorine in tap water. Water containers should stand overnight to allow these gases to dissipate before using on plants.
Wash the dust off of house plant leaves on a regular basis. This allows the leaves to gather light more efficiently and will result in better growth.
Set the pots of humidity-loving house plants on trays filled with pebbles and water. Pots should sit on the pebbles, not in the water.
Allow tap water to warm to room temperature before using on houseplants.
Fluffy, white mealy bugs on house plants are easily killed by touching them with a cotton swab soaked in rubbing alcohol.
Insecticidal soap sprays can be safely applied to most house plants for the control of many insect pests.
To clean heavily encrusted clay pots, scrub them with a steel wool pad after they have soaked overnight in a solution consisting of 1 gallon of water, and one cup each of white vinegar and household bleach.
Quarantine new gift plants to be sure they do not harbor any insect pests.
Store wood ashes in sealed, fireproof containers. Apply a dusting around lilacs, baby’s breath, asters, lilies and roses in spring. Do not apply to acid-loving plants. Excess ashes may be composted.
Cakes of suet hung in trees will attract insect-hunting woodpeckers to your garden.
Seed and Nursery catalogs should be arriving soon. While reviewing garden catalogs, look for plants with improved insect, disease and drought-tolerance.
