by Ron Kujawski

* Don't put any fertilizer into bare garden soils now. It'd be like putting hair cream onto a bald head. Without a cover of vegetation to take up the fertilizer, most of the nutrients will leach out with rain and melting snow.

* Let thaw, then harvest and use immediately, any cabbage that has frozen signs. Cabbage can take a lot of cold, but once the heads freeze deeply, they will deteriorate. The same can be said for Brussels sprouts.

* Sow leftover seeds of carrots, lettuce, onions, beets, parsnips, and herbs including dill, parsley, chervil, and coriander. These are pretty tough seeds and should easily survive the winter. In spring, they'll sprout and come up well before you might otherwise be able to get onto wet garden soils. A light covering of coarse mulch (e.g., straw) may be of some benefit in keeping soil frozen during winter. This will prevent seed decay from frequently thawed soils. 

* Use a combination of one cool-white and one warm-white fluorescent tube in a light fixture as a light source for house plants that need bright light. I use a fixture with an adjustable height so it can be suspended about 15 to 20 inches above my plants. Of course, if I lifted the window shades, I might not need the fixture.

* Prevent winter injury to evergreen shrubs by constructing temporary windbreaks of burlap in front of the shrubs to protect them from the drying effects of wind and sun. Also, wrap strips of burlap around trunks of newly planted and thin-barked trees to prevent frost cracks in their trunks. Remove these wraps in late March of next year.

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A symptom of the obsessed gardener is that he or she is never satisfied with the status quo, particularly as it relates to landscape. There's always a tree or shrub that looks out of place, or a need to add another plant to complete a certain scene. Although the shoots of woody plants won't grow now, their root systems do continue to grow, sometimes well into November or December if your plants have been mulched. In other words, these plants can become well-established before growth is renewed next spring. To our advantage is the fact that many nurseries and garden centers have huge sales on woody plants in fall. They are not anxious to endure the extra labor and costs of carrying over unsold stock through the winter. So, evaluate your landscape; make note of some additions that can enhance your property and make the necessary purchases.

Ron Kujawski began gardening at an early age on his family's onion farm in upstate New York. Although now retired, he spent most of his career teaching at the UMass Extension Service. He serves on Berkshire Botanical Garden’s Horticulture Advisory Committee. His book, Week-by-Week Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook, is available here.