Evergreens need water as temperatures begin slow rise

Continue watering any evergreens that are planted in containers outside when temperatures warm up and conditions are dry if you are planning to try to keep them alive for another season.

Evergreens continue to lose water through their leaves during winter and can be affected more quickly as temperatures begin to warm up in late winter. If the plants turn an overall tan to brown color in the coming weeks as the weather moderates, it is likely they have died.

• If you feed birds in your garden, it is a good idea to prevent your dog from eating fallen birdseed. The birdseed alone may not cause any problems until the dog eats so much that his intestines become impacted.

Should a dog develop a large amount of gas in the stomach from the seeds fermenting, it can cause the stomach to bloat, which can lead to a condition in which the stomach twists on itself. This is a life-threatening condition that requires immediate emergency veterinary attention.

Most dogs can pass small amounts of ingested birdseed. Another potential problem is that a dog can eat bird droppings that may contain salmonella bacteria along with the birdseed. Salmonella can cause severe digestive upset with lots of vomiting and diarrhea that can be fatal in very young or old dogs. The salmonella bacteria can also be passed on to humans.

• Get a head start on summer-blooming bulbs and tubers by starting them indoors in moist, soilless mix. Plant caladium (Caladium), elephant ears (Colocassia), tuberous begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida), montbretia (Crocosmia), lily of the Nile (Agapanthus), garden canna (Canna x generalis), tuberose (Polianthes) or peacock orchid (Acidanthera). Keep warm until new growth appears. Move pots into a sunny window or under grow lights if necessary. Move these pots outside when all danger of frost has passed, after gradually introducing plants to the growing conditions outside.

• Fertilize houseplants as they begin new growth. Try low dosages of organic fertilizers or a very diluted, balanced, granular fertilizer rather than stronger formulas at this time of year. Telltale white salt markings on terra cotta pots indicate the overuse of fertilizer or improper watering. Flush out the soil of over-fertilized plants with plain water, as the buildup of salts from fertilizer can damage the plants.

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