The days are shorter, the nights are long and cold, and the best place to be is inside by the fire going through seed catalogs and dreaming of the spring garden. However, there are some chores to be done during this period to promote a healthy garden for the year ahead.

Be sure and water plants if there has been little rainfall. Remember to water those plants that are protected from the rain by overhanging eaves.

Watch for frost, if it is a clear, windless, star-filled night with no cloud cover, heat is rapidly lost and frost damage usually occurs. If a frost warning has been issued, make sure to water your plants; a hydrated plant fares better during a freeze. Container plants should be moved under eaves or under the canopy of a tree.

Plants susceptible to frost damage growing in pots such as citrus and succulents should be moved to a more protected location and covered with a frost cloth. For those planted in the ground they should be covered with a frost cloth or for added protection you can string outdoor Christmas lights on them and cover with a frost cloth for additional warmth. A permeable frost cloth such as N-Sulate can be left on the plants and removed when the weather warms up.

If it snows, remember, snow has its advantages; a thick blanket of snow insulates both the plants and the ground and can keep them much warmer than the freezing air temperature. The weight of the snow is the most harmful aspect. Gardeners should periodically shake heavy snow off of fragile limbs.

Clean up all the old leaves and litter from around your fruit trees and roses, do not put this
In your compost pile as the old leaves may be harboring pests and disease.

If you have watering basins around your trees and shrubs, break the walls down now so that winter rains do not puddle around trunks and cause disease problems. You can rebuild the basins in late spring.

Clean up your summer veggie garden, adding the dead plants to the compost pile. Check your winter vegetable garden weekly and water as needed. Harvest winter vegetables as they ripen.

On rainless days, attend to dormant spraying, pruning and buy bare-root plants.

Now is the time for dormant spraying of your leafless fruit trees, which should be done in two or three doses. Ideally, the way to keep track of your dormant spraying would be to spray Thanksgiving, New Years and Valentine’s Day, never spray after the buds start to open.

Dormant sprays are compounds that assist us in controlling fungal diseases and many insect infestations, and are used during the winter season while the plant is in its dormant phase.

This is the time to prune your deciduous fruit trees and roses. Invest in a good pruning book such as; How to Prune Fruit Trees by R. Sanford Martin and take a pruning class from your locally owned and operated nursery for valuable pruning information.
Prune and shape your evergreens, this is the point in which they will be most dormant.
Shop for bare- root plants. Plant them when the soil is dry enough to dig properly.

Living Christmas trees and rosemary topiaries should be moved outdoors by now, they are not happy living indoors. Remove any floral foil from the outside of the pot to allow for better drainage. Trim away any dead foliage, water well, and put them in a sheltered spot until you are ready to plant them.

So, finish your gardening chores when the weather is good. Take a good look at your garden now while it’s dormant, see the bare bones of your landscaping and take note of where you would like to add a fruit tree or flowerbed. Get out your gardening journal and go through your seed catalogs and make your plans for the upcoming season. But most of all, just sit back and enjoy the beauty of your garden and dream about spring. .