Water evergreens well to prevent winter burn

December is a good month to update your gardening records with notes of successes and failures from the past growing season. This will help for planning the next year.

Though the outdoor gardening season may be over except for pruning and monitoring for animal damage, you still can garden inside by experimenting with growing herbs. Sow seeds of parsley, oregano, sage and dwarf basil in clay pots. Once they germinate, place them under grow lights and water when very dry. Fertilize the plants with a half-strength solution of a liquid fertilizer.

General garden careAll through the winter when it is warm enough, keep watering any evergreen shrubs planted outdoors in containers. Evergreens lose water through their leaves and needles all through the cold season, so providing supplemental water will help prevent winter burn.During a heavy, wet snowfall, you can carefully shake snow off shrubs to minimize damage from its weight. But once the snow or ice has frozen in place, it is better to leave it alone and let it melt off. Trying to remove frozen snow or ice from plants can cause considerable damage.When you shovel snow, try to avoid piling it up at the base of plants. It is best to spread snow around more evenly if possible.Follow directions on bags of ice melt when salting slippery areas on walks. Many people apply too much ice melt, which can cause damage to walks and adjacent plants. Consider using sand on slippery areas. Mixing a small amount of ice melt with sand can also be effective and minimize the amount of ice melt used. Calcium- or potassium-based products will be less damaging to plants than sodium chloride products. Always shovel snow from walks before spreading the de-icing material.Monitor your garden for animal damage during the winter and install protection as needed. Look for gnawed bark at the base of trees and shrubs. Rabbits can cause considerable damage over the course of winter by feeding on shrubs. As snow piles up, it gives them a place to stand to reach higher and higher to eat. Chicken wire will work well to exclude rabbits.Yews and arborvitae are deer favorites and will likely be browsed in areas where deer are active. I have not found soap or hair hanging in branches to work as a deterrent against deer browsing. Instead, use physical barriers such as wire or netting to protect plants.Store liquid pesticides and grass seed in an area that does not freeze during the winter. All terra-cotta containers should be stored out of the elements. They will absorb water from rain and snow in winter and freezing temperatures then can cause the containers to crack.Christmas treesWhen choosing a Christmas tree, select one with firm needles. Lift the tree a few inches and drop it; only a few needles should fall off onto the ground. The bottom of the stump should be moist with some sap present, indicating that the tree was recently cut. Trees that were cut many weeks or even months ago will drop their needles shortly after being brought indoors.The trees that retain their needles the longest are the balsam and white firs; red, white and Scotch pines; and Douglas fir.Once the tree is at home, cut another 2 inches or so off the stump. Immediately place the tree into your stand and fill it with water. Check daily to make sure the stand is full of water. A freshly cut tree can absorb as much as 1 gallon of water in a day and you may need to refill the basin more than once per day for first few days after installing the tree inside. If left in a stand without water, the tree will form a seal across the stump which prevents it from taking up any more water.Dry trees can become serious fire hazards. Keep live Christmas trees away from heat sources such as fireplaces, radiators and furnace vents and continue checking daily to make sure the stand is full of water.After Christmas, your live cut tree can be moved outside and be redecorated for the birds. Anchor the tree in a bucket of damp sand. Put on strings of popcorn and cranberries. Apples, oranges, leftover breads and pine cones covered with peanut butter and then dipped in birdseed also can be added. For best results, push the edible ornaments well into the tree.Holiday plantsWhen you receive or buy a gift plant, either remove the decorative foil or plastic from the pot or punch holes to allow water to drain properly. Place the pot in a saucer.Poinsettias like lots of bright, indirect sunlight. They are sensitive to extreme temperatures so it is best to keep them away from cold drafts and heat vents. Daytime temperatures of 65 degrees work well for prolonging the display of the colored bracts. Water the plants thoroughly when the soil is dry to the touch. There is no need to fertilize poinsettias during the holiday season.Cyclamen plants prefer quite cool indoor conditions. Water them only when the soil dries out and avoid splashing water on the foliage. Remove faded flowers and their stems as soon as possible to keep the plant blooming and looking good.Pot up new amaryllis bulbs in wide, squat containers using a soilless growing medium. Allow the #147;shoulders#148; of the bulb, a quarter-inch or so at the top, to remain above the medium. Water well once and then allow the medium to dry out before watering again.Keep the pot away from direct sun, drafts and heating vents. As the stalk grows, rotate the pot for even growth. Most amaryllis send up the stalk and flowers first before the leaves. After flowering, allow the stalk to yellow and wither before removing it from the bulb. If you want to try to save the plant, continue to water the leaves. After May 15, take the plant outside to receive morning sun and fertilize regularly with a dilute 10-10-10 or 15-15-15 mix. Bring the bulb in before Oct. 15 for its resting period.ŸTim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden.