Expert advice for deer-resistant, pet-safe, and pollinator-friendly gardens. Science-backed picks for every USDA zone.
Granular fertilizer keeps for years if it stays dry, so seal open bags in airtight bins and store them off the floor in a garage or shed. Liquid fertilizers and many liquid pesticides and herbicides c...
Frost heave happens when soil freezes, thaws, and refreezes, expanding each time and lifting shallow-rooted plants until their crowns and roots sit exposed to drying wind and cold. The fix is to keep ...
Deicing salt hurts plants two ways: spray from plows burns evergreen needles and buds on the side facing the street, and salty meltwater soaking into soil dries out roots and leaves brown strips of gr...
The winding, 1 to 2 inch wide trails of matted or dead grass that appear when snow melts are vole runways, made by small rodents that tunnel along the soil surface under snow cover all winter. Most la...
For a household burning one to three cords a season, a 6 to 8 pound splitting maul and a solid chopping block handle most straight-grained rounds, while an electric log splitter in the 5 to 7 ton rang...
If your heated home reads below about 30 percent humidity, a cool mist or evaporative humidifier sized for the room is the most effective way to help tropical houseplants, and a target of 40 to 50 per...
Moss does not push grass out; it fills in where grass is already weak, most often from shade, compacted or soggy soil, low soil pH, low fertility, or mowing too short. To get grass back, kill the moss...
Repot most houseplants in spring or early summer, when they are actively growing and recover quickly, and only when roots have filled the pot. In the short, dim days of winter, wait unless there is a ...
Indoor citrus such as Meyer lemon, calamondin, and kumquat often flower in late winter, but without bees the flowers need help: dab pollen from the yellow anthers onto the sticky center of each open f...
Plan before you open the seed catalog: check what seed you already have, list what you want to grow and how much space it needs, match each variety's days to maturity to your frost free season, favor ...
To have forced bulbs in bloom on a target date, count backward: hardy bulbs such as tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, and crocus need about 12 to 16 weeks of cold at 35 to 45°F, then about 2 to 4 weeks of...
A living greens centerpiece is a row of small rooted plants, left in their nursery pots and set into a long tray or trough, then dressed with moss so it looks like one planting. Keep it under about 12...
Prune apple, pear, and most other fruit trees in late winter while they are dormant, after the coldest weather has passed and before buds swell. Start by removing dead, damaged, and diseased wood, the...
Clean ash from untreated firewood works like a mild lime with some potassium, so use it only where a soil test shows acidic soil pH below about 6.5, spread no more than 10 to 15 pounds per 1,000 squar...
Stack firewood on a raised steel rack at least 20 feet from the house, cover only the top of the stack so the sides can breathe, and burn wood once a moisture meter reads under 20 percent on a freshly...
A 4-foot plastic snow fence placed roughly 10 to 15 times its height upwind of a driveway about 40 to 60 feet away slows blowing snow so it drops in a drift behind the fence instead of across your dri...
Anti-desiccant anti-transpirant spray forms a thin film on evergreen leaves that slows winter moisture loss, and it helps most on broadleaf evergreens and recently planted shrubs in windy, sunny spots...
White cottony tufts in leaf joints are mealybugs; small brown or tan bumps on stems and leaf veins are scale; both leave sticky honeydew on leaves and furniture. Isolate the plant, wipe or dab every v...
Bring lithium-ion batteries from cordless mowers, trimmers, and blowers indoors for winter, store them at roughly 40 to 60 percent charge in a dry spot between about 40 and 80 degrees, and never charg...
Clean and fully dry patio furniture, then cover it with breathable, vented covers that reach close to the ground without sitting in puddles, and store cushions indoors or in zippered storage bags insi...
A fresh-cut evergreen wreath usually stays green for four to six weeks outdoors in cool shade, and closer to two or three weeks indoors, when you start with fresh greens, give it a drink before you ha...
Leaf mold is what fallen leaves become when they sit moist and break down slowly with no added kitchen scraps or grass, and the easiest way to make it is a simple wire bin about 3 to 4 feet across, pa...
A clivia blooms indoors when it gets bright indirect light most of the year, plus a cool, dry rest of about 8 to 10 weeks at roughly 45 to 55°F with little or no water and no fertilizer. When a flower...
For the first two weeks after a potted plant comes home from a store or arrives as a gift, the goal is to cut stress: bring it home warm, take off the foil sleeve, make sure water can drain, give it b...
Spider mites multiply fast indoors once the heat comes on and the air dries out. If leaves show fine pale speckling and you see thin webbing where leaves meet stems, isolate the plant, rinse the leave...
Set 4 to 6 foot reflective fiberglass driveway markers along drive and walk edges before the ground freezes, spaced about 10 to 20 feet apart on straight runs and closer on curves, so plow drivers and...
An indoor worm bin keeps you composting after the outdoor pile freezes. Start with a stacking tray bin, moist shredded bedding such as coconut coir and newspaper, and about a pound of red wiggler comp...
Birds hit windows because glass reflects sky and trees or shows a clear path straight through. The fix that works is breaking up the outside surface of the glass with markers spaced no more than 2 inc...
Spray horticultural dormant oil on fruit trees in late winter while they are still dormant, up to about the green tip stage when buds first show color, on a calm, dry day when temperatures stay above ...
Fungus gnats breed in constantly damp potting mix, so the fix is to let the top 1 to 2 inches of soil dry between waterings, treat the soil with a Bti product such as mosquito bits once a week for thr...
Leftover seed stays viable longest when it is kept cool, dark, and dry: sealed in a jar or seed box with a desiccant packet, and stored somewhere steady around 35 to 50°F, such as a cool basement shel...
Store bird seed in a galvanized steel can with a tight or locking lid, kept in a dry garage, shed, or mudroom and set on a board or shelf rather than damp concrete. Metal stops the mice, rats, chipmun...
For single-story gutters, a telescoping gutter wand or a pole-mounted gutter scoop clears most leaves and seed debris from the ground, and staying off the ladder is the safest way to do the job. Plan ...
A roof snow rake with a telescoping pole of about 20 feet lets you pull the bottom 3 to 4 feet of snow off a one-story roof edge while standing on the ground, and that strip is where ice dams start. R...
An anthurium keeps producing its glossy red, pink, or white spathes indoors when it gets bright indirect light, warm rooms of about 65 to 80°F, water only after the top inch or two of mix dries, and h...
To force a hyacinth in a glass jar, chill the bulb at about 35 to 48°F for 10 to 14 weeks, then set it in a forcing vase with the water just below the base of the bulb - never touching it - and keep i...
To force crocus in a shallow dish, plant the corms shoulder to shoulder with their tips just at the surface of moist potting mix, chill the dish at about 35 to 45°F for 12 to 15 weeks, then bring it i...
For most houseplants in short, dark days, a full-spectrum LED grow light placed about 6 to 12 inches above the leaves and run 10 to 14 hours a day on a timer replaces the light a dim window cannot giv...
A folding pruning saw is the right tool for live or dead branches from about 1 to 4 inches thick, the range where loppers start to crush or stall and a chainsaw is more tool than the job needs. For mo...
For pruning thorny shrubs, cutting back brambles, or pulling thistles, choose gauntlet-style gardening gloves with a goatskin or synthetic leather palm and a long, puncture-resistant cuff that covers ...
For most yards, the fastest way to bag leaves is a pop-up leaf bag or collapsible yard waste bin about 30 to 40 gallons that stands open on its own, used with leaf grabber hands or a wide rake. Reusab...
Clean out bird nest boxes after the last brood has fledged and the box is empty, usually in late summer or autumn, by removing old nesting material, scraping out droppings, and letting the box air dry...
A soil moisture meter tells you whether a houseplant actually needs water, which matters most in winter when light is low, growth slows, and indoor heat dries the air but not always the root zone. Pus...
The simplest way to organize garden tools in a garage or shed is a wall-mounted rail or track system with heavy-duty hooks for long-handled tools, plus a shelf or bin for hand tools and gloves. Hang r...
A rolling plant caddy with locking casters and a weight rating at least 50 percent above the filled pot's weight is the easiest way to move heavy containers indoors for winter, shift them toward light...
The best snow shovel for most walks and driveways is an ergonomic combo shovel with a bent or adjustable shaft and an 18 to 24 inch poly blade with a metal wear strip, paired with a wide snow pusher f...
A gift Phalaenopsis orchid keeps flowering for weeks when you give it bright indirect light, water thoroughly only after the bark mix is nearly dry, and keep it out of cold drafts and hot vents. Most ...
A winter window box holds up when you use a sturdy outdoor box with drainage, a coco liner or similar insert, and a mix of dwarf evergreens plus a few berry or broadleaf accents that fit the trough de...
After you bring a poinsettia home, keep it in a bright spot around 65 to 70°F, water when the top inch of mix feels dry, and empty the saucer so roots never sit in water. Leaf drop in the first week i...
Norfolk Island pine stays dense indoors when it gets bright, indirect light, evenly moist never soggy soil, and humidity above about 40 to 50%. Brown tips and bare lower branches usually mean dry air,...
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