Midwest Region

• Water trees, shrubs, and evergreens until the ground freezes. Apply a layer of mulch around these plants to help reduce winter injury.
• Transplant trees and rosebushes.
• Finish seeding your new lawns by the middle of the month.
• This is the best time to fertilize your lawn if you only do so once a year.
• As long as your grass continues to grow, you can continue mowing it.
• Remove weeds, debris, and dead or diseased plants, as well as plants that had disease problems this year. Insects and diseases can overwinter in these plants.
• Look for slug egg masses under mulch and destroy.
• Harvest any remaining vegetables sensitive to frost, included winter squash, pumpkins, and sweet potatoes.
• Harvest orchard apples.
• Prune everbearing raspberries.
• Do not prune spring-flowering shrubs.
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs, such as tulips, hyacinth, and snow drops. Consider covering with chicken wire to deter animals.
• Plant garlic and horseradish.
• Cut perennials to the ground.
• Be sure to remove any leaves from your lawn to help reduce lawn problems; shred leaves and add to compost.
• Test your garden soil and make any necessary changes to improve it for next spring.
• After a frost, dig up dahlias.