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Shake snow from plants; shovel with care

There has not been much snow in the Chicago area yet this year, but when a storm does finally come, carefully shake snow off plants during heavy wet storms to minimize damage.

Once the snow or ice has frozen onto plants, it is best to let it melt. Removing frozen snow or ice from plants can cause considerable damage.

Try to avoid piling up snow at the base of plants when shoveling by spreading the snow around evenly as you shovel.

Clean the greenhouse

If you have a home greenhouse, clear it out and wash the pots, shelves, trays and benches. Cleaning your greenhouse thoroughly will help reduce pest problems next year.

Wash the windows inside and out to allow maximum light in, especially if you are planning to grow plants over the winter. Scrub benches, fixtures and glazing bars with a disinfecting cleaner to help reduce disease problems. Be sure to thoroughly hose off all surfaces when finished scrubbing. Plan to do a thorough cleaning of each greenhouse window annually.

Engine care

There are two approaches to managing the remaining fuel in two- and four-cycle engines. One option is to drain the fuel out of the gas tank and run the engine to get it all out of the fuel lines and carburetor.

Fuel that sits for a long time ages, and residues can form that may plug the small fuel jets in the carburetor. Removing the gasoline eliminates this problem.

The other option is to fill the tank and add a gas stabilizer into the gas tank and run the engine to get the treated gas into the carburetor. If you are using a gas that has ethanol in it, be sure to use a stabilizer that is made to eliminate corrosion associated with alcohol fuels.

• Tim Johnson is director of horticulture at Chicago Botanic Garden, chicagobotanic.org.

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