1. Purchase and plant bare-root roses, trees, vines, berries and vegetables
2. Choose and plant camellias and azaleas
3. Purchase cymbidiums
4. Purchase and plant cool-season flowers to fill in bare spots
5. Plant seeds of warm-season flowers for transplants to put out in spring
6. Continue to plant winter vegetables from transplants and seeds
7. Many succulents, including cacti, bloom in winter and spring; purchase new types now
8. Prune deciduous fruit trees
9. Prune roses
10. Deadhead azaleas
11. Mow cool-season lawns. Most warm-season lawns are dormant now and don't need mowing
12. Begin to feed citrus trees in coastal zones
13. Treat citrus trees for chlorosis
14. Start feeding epiphyllums for bloom with
0-10-10 or 2-10-10
15. Continue to fertilize cymbidiums that have not yet bloomed with a high-bloom formula
16. Feed cool-season flowers
17. Feed cineraria
18. Fertilize cool-season lawns with Dr. Earth Super Natural Lawn Food
19. Water plants according to need (when the rains are not adequate).
20. Irrigate citrus trees
21. Remember to water plants under eaves where the rains cannot reach
22. Dormant spray roses and deciduous fruit trees
23. Dormant spray sycamore trees
24. Check citrus trees for pests
25. Pick up dead camellia blossoms to prevent petal blight
26. Protect cymbidiums from slugs and snails
27. Control rust on cool-season lawns
28. Check trees, shrubs, and ice plant in coastal zones for overwintering whiteflies. Control by spraying
29. Pull weeds
30. Spray peach and apricot for peach leaf curl
31. Protect tender plants from frost
32. Stake cymbidium bloom spikes
33. Near the end of the month check bamboo in coastal zones to see if it is time to propagate

Slugs and Snails

Snails and their shell-less brethren, slugs, are one of the most frustrating and destructive garden pests. Hiding during the day and feeding mostly at night, they can consume almost anything with fruit, flowers or foliage. Often, all you see in their wake, other than damaged plants, is the shiny slime trail they leave behind.

Slugs and snails are most active in cool, moist weather, but they can be a problem almost any time. Although hand-picking (or squashing with your foot) in the early morning or at night can reduce numbers, using poisonous baits has been the most common control measure. The problem is that snail and slug baits can also be toxic to pets and wildlife. Now there is a more critter-friendly solution.

Most commom snail and slug products are very effective, but can be harmful to your pet. Sluggo utilizes a unique blend of iron phosphate, originating from soil, and snail and slug bait additives. Any leftover bait will degrade and become part of the soil. It is highly effective against snails and slugs, but also can be used around pets and wildlife. The dual action bait attracts and kills slugs and snails, remains effective after rain and is ideal for use around lawns, vegetables and other garden areas. Sluggo comes in an easy-to-use shaker applicator which covers up to 1500 square feet.

by Tamara Galbraith

On a recent trip to Belize with my wonderful husband, I was awestruck by a large, unusual plant that was thriving in the sandy front yards of several Ambergris Caye beach homes: Senecio repens, an upright, shrubby succulent that hails from South Africa.

While I'm not entirely unfamiliar with this plant - it is currently being tested for Texas Superstar(tm) status in the Texas A&M University Research & Extension Center - I was certainly impressed by its potential.

Also also known as Senecio serpens or Kleinia repens, this attractive, soft-to-the-touch plant can commonly be found in two varieties: the blue-gray 'Kilimanjaro' and the green aloe-like 'Himalaya.' It is incredibly easy to propagate from cuttings, and should be grown in a sandy soil of the sort that cactuses like. A natural as a houseplant, it looks lovely and does great in a terra cotta pot by a sunny window.

If your outside temperatures stay between 25-98 degrees F year round, Senecio repens can be grown in the landscape; just make sure the soil is slightly moist but well-draining. While they are drought-tolerant and can be vigorous in the right climate, these plants apparently do not like consistent triple-digits; some gardeners in Phoenix have reported difficulty keeping these senecios alive during the exceptionally hot, dry summers there.

by Tamara Galbraith

So, it's the middle of winter and temperatures have risen to a balmy level. As a gardener, you're itching to get out and work in the yard. But what's to do this time of year?

Turn to your trees and shrubs - they could probably use some attention while they rest comfortably in winter dormancy. Here are some winter pruning pointers:

Non-flowering hardwood trees and shrubs should be pruned at this time of year to improve the plant's structure. Making cuts in the dormant season also reduces the chance of transmitting disease, discourages excessive sap flow and avoids the problem of possible pest infestation. Conifers can be trimmed any time, but are best pruned during the dormant season, as sap and resin flow are minimized from the cut branches.

Flowering trees and shrubs, with a few exceptions, should also be pruned during the dormant season for the same reasons stated above. However, do NOT yet prune trees and shrubs that flower in early spring — you'll be cutting off the buds that will open in a few months. Spring-flowering trees and shrubs should instead be pruned immediately after flowering. A good rule of thumb is that you should prune in the season opposite of flowering, i.e. flower in spring = prune in fall, and flower in summer = prune in winter.

Ornamental grasses that die during the winter should be given a 'flat-top haircut' about 3"-4" above ground at the end of winter, before new growth starts to emerge. Evergreen grasses should be left alone.

Of course, dead branches and canes can be removed any time of the year, especially those obviously suffering from insect and/or disease damage. If you suspect disease, be sure to disinfect your pruning tools with a germ-killing spray like Lysol before and after cutting plants. Do not put diseased or insect-infested cuttings in your compost pile.