This is great weather for some winter gardening clean-up. The sun is shining, the sky is blue and there's a slight nip in the air. So throw on a sweatshirt and grab those pruning shears - we have gardening to do!
* WINTER PRUNING: This is essential for fruit trees; less so for shade and ornamentals.
* PROTECT FROST-TENDER PLANTS: Remember, cold air settles in the lowest spot, which is why Willcox may get a heavy frost but not Bisbee. This also holds true for low areas in your garden.
* REMOVE OLD MULCH FROM TREES AND PLANTING BEDS: Apply fresh mulch to protect plants from frost and to retain moisture. Bag or burn old mulch. This gets rid of insects that may have laid eggs or pupated under the mulch, planning to overwinter in this nice moist environment you've provided. Follow this advice and you'll have fewer problems with pests come spring.
* DIG TREE HOLES: If you're planting- bare-root trees this winter, it's best to start digging the holes early and working on it over a week or so. It will make it a lot easier on your back. Most tree holes should be 5 feet by 5 feet by 5 feet - quite a hole, but necessary for the health and longevity of your tree.
* PLANT THAT TREE: Remember to dig the hole before buying the tree. Keep the roots from drying out by wrapping them in damp sawdust or sacking and tying a plastic bag around them. KEEP THOSE ROOTS DAMP
* WATER PERIODICALLY: Even though your tree's top growth has stopped, its roots will continue growing during the winter as long as soil temperatures are above 45 degrees F. In order to remain healthy, your tree's roots depend on a winter water source such as winter rains and supplemental watering. During wet cold winters (soil temp, below 45 degrees F) trees will get enough dormant time to recover from the previous year's growing season. But if the winter is mild, trees may not get enough rest or enough water and will produce small leaves and a light fruit crop in spring. There is little you can do to prevent this. Withholding irrigation to delay budding will only increase the stress on your tree, not slow down budding.
* STRATIFY SEEDS: Some seeds, such as salvia and gayfeather, require a cold-moist pretreatment to germinate. This is best accomplished by planting outdoors in fall and keeping the planting bed moist throughout the winter. In mild winter areas, however, the weather may not stay cold long enough for cold-stratification. In these areas, seeds should be cold stratified in the refrigerator for 1 to 3 months, depending on the type of seed.
* PREPARING SOIL: If you have a dormant garden or an undeveloped area that you'll be planting in spring, now is a good time to add manure to the soil. This will increase the organic matter content and improve soil structure. As a rule, manure should be added at least three months prior to planting.
* FERTILIZE ASPARAGUS: If you're lucky enough to have an asparagus bed and it is dormant, fertilize it lightly. The asparagus plants will not break dormancy, but will store the nutrients in their roots for vigorous spring growth.
* PERUSE THOSE SEED CATALOGS: By the end of this month your seed catalogs should be dog-eared and your seed orders ready for mailing. If you haven't requested seed catalogs yet, hop to it - time is running out!
* GENERAL GARDEN CLEAN-UP: Keep at those winter weeds and remove piles of leaves and debris from your garden.
* GLOAT A LITTLE: Turn on the news for the weather in the Midwestern region and be glad you live in warm and sunny Arizona!