- Drain hoses and sprayers before cold weather sets in to prevent them from freezing and bursting.
- Wait to spread winter mulch until after the ground has frozen. Mulching beforehand can delay dormancy and makes a good home for voles.
- Do not store apples or pears with vegetables. The fruits give off ethylene gas which speeds up the breakdown of vegetables and will cause them to develop a strange taste.
- Clean the bird feeders and stock them with birdseed and suet.
- Use small stakes or markers where you’ve planted bulbs or late starting spring plants in the perennial garden, to avoid disturbing them when you begin spring soil preparation.
- Keep mowing your lawn as long as the grass is growing. Meadow voles and field mice may damage turf and nearby trees and shrubs if they have long grass for food and cover.
- Inspect your fruit trees. Remove any mummified remaining fruits, and rake up and dispose of old leaves.
- Protect roses from freezing temperatures by placing bark mulch around the base of rose bushes so that the first part of the stem (nearest the ground) is completely covered or mound with soil and protect with a purchased rose cone. Do this after the ground freezes.
- Clean and fill bird baths regularly and consider a heating unit to provide fresh water throughout the winter.
- Pull stakes and plant supports. Clean them with a 10% bleach solution before storing for the winter.
For more information please visit the UConn Home and Garden Education Center or call 877-486-6271.