Hort Shorts
- Have a soil test done to determine whether your soil is more acidic or alkaline. This will help you improve soil in the long run. For information on soil tests, call your local extension office or visit www.agr.state.nc.us/agronomi/sthome.htm.
- Apply mulch to keep weed seeds from ruining next year’s garden.
- Feed bulbs twice with a balanced fertilizer: once when first planted in the fall or early winter, and again when the foliage first pokes through the ground. Once flowering is complete, a light feeding is helpful.
- Small but prominent areas of the lawn can be seeded with rye grass to make them stand out in the landscape over winter.
- Remove leaves that fall on small plants. Otherwise, the plants will smother.
- Clean gutters. Packed leaves can cause gutters to overflow during storms. Rainwater may leak near the foundation and eventually seep into the basement.
- Pansies and violas make a better winter show if their roots are established before cold weather sets in. For flowers next spring in the middle and lower South, set out sweet William, dianthus, snapdragons, and sweet alyssum before temperatures drop consistently below 40 degrees. Sow seeds of larkspur, poppies, Johnny-jump-ups, dill, bachelor’s buttons, and forget-me-nots directly into well-prepared garden soil before the first heavy frost.