• To prevent injury to your lawn, dont walk on frozen grass.

• Lawns that were seeded this past fall will need watering during dry periods when the ground is not frozen.

• If not done in December dormant seeding can still be done in January. First hand rake or verti-cut areas to be seeded.

• Keep raking or mowing leaves to avoid leaf pile up. Leaves can suffocate grass.

• Avoid the spring rush. Have your lawn mower tuned up now.

• Heavy snow can be gently brushed off trees and shrubs, but allow ice to melt naturally.

• Prune limbs damaged by ice or snow as soon as possible to prevent further damage and keep the bark from tearing.

• During dry periods fall planted trees and shrubs should be watered when the ground is not frozen.

• Fruit trees can be pruned now or in February or early March. Temperatures should be above 20 degrees or damage could be done to the wood. Prune trees before dormant sprays are applied. Start with apples, pears and cherries first. Peaches and nectarines should be pruned just before they bloom.

• Watch for deer and rabbit damage. If they are a problem, use Deer and Rabbit Scram. It is the best product I've seen for repelling them.

• Check mulch around trees and shrubs. Mulch 2 - 3 inches deep year round. Keep mulch 4 - 6 inches from tree trunks and main stems of shrubs.

Now is the time to plan your spring gardens. The following are my favorite seed and plant catalog companies:

— W. Atlee Burpee Co. (burpee.com) 1-800-333-5808
— Park Seed (parkseed.com) 1-800-213-0076
— Renee's Seeds (reneesgarden.com) 1-888-880-7228
— Johnny's Selected Seeds (johnnyseeds.com) 1-207-861-3900
— Stokes Seeds (stokesseeds.com) 1-800-396-9238
— Ferry-Morse Seeds (ferry-morse.com) 1-800-283-3400
— Seeds of Change (seedsofchange.com) 1-888-762-7333
— Jung Seed Co. (jungseed.com) 1-800-297-3123
— Bountiful Gardens (bountifulgardens.org) 1-707-459-6410
— The Cook's Garden (cooksgarden.com) 1-800-457-9703
— Seed Savers Exchange (seedsavers.org) 1-319-382-5990
— Tomato Growers Supply Co. (tomatogrowers.com) 1-888-478-7333
— Harris Seeds (harrisseeds.com) 1- 800-514-4441
— Stark Bros. Fruit Trees (starkbros.com) 1-800-325-4180
— Vermont Bean Seed Co. (vermontbean.com) 1-800-349-1071

• Check left over garden seed. Most garden vegetable seed will remain viable for about 3 years, if kept in cold, dark, dry storage. There are a few exceptions. Onion, parsnip, corn and parsley may last only 1 to 2 years. To check to see if your seed is good, set 10 to 20 seeds on several layers of pre-moistened paper towels or napkins. Roll them up carefully in the paper so they will stay separate. Place in a plastic bag and keep in a warm place (70 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit). Check the seeds in 5 - 7 days. If needed re-moisten the paper towels or napkins with warm water and check 5 - 7 days later. Allow three weeks for most varieties to germinate. Counting the seeds that sprout versus the seeds that don't sprout will give you the percentage of germination. If there is no germination in three weeks you'll need to purchase new seed.

• Clean or replace furnace filters.

• Check air pressure monthly in car tires for better gas mileage.

• Clean, sharpen and oil the garden tools to get ready for spring.

• Check out the attic for condensation and if present, improve the ventilation.

• Clean the filter in the hood over the range.


• CLEANING THE CLOTHES AND DISHWASHERS:
Mark Groom, owner of Groom's Appliance Repair, is my absolute favorite appliance repair man. If you have an appliance problem Mark's the one to call. His number is (816) 524–7184. Mark services Jackson and Cass Counties in Missouri and Johnson County in Kansas.

The following are the recipes he has given on my radio show:

Washing machines: For front loading and high-efficiency top loading always use low-foaming high-efficiency detergents.
• Use 2 Tablespoons of detergent for a large load.

• Use 1 Tablespoon if you have a water softener.
   To clean add 1/2 cup of Tang Drink Mix once a week for four straight weeks to an empty machine. Run it through a quick cycle using hot water. After four weeks, use 1/4 cup of Tang Drink Mix once a month. The Tang will not only clean the detergent and mineral buildup from your washer, it will also clean the insides of pipes.

— For regular top loading washers, once a month add 1 gallon of white vinegar (I always use the least expensive) to an empty machine. Run it through a complete cycle using hot water.

— DISHWASHERS: Dishwashers need cleaning too. To an empty machine, once a month add 2 cups of bleach to run through the wash cycle. Then add four cups of white vinegar and run it through a full cycle.

• Houseplants appreciate being watered with warm tap water at this time of the year.

• Fertilize houseplants every other month during the winter. I love Hummert Dyna Green Sure Bloom. Use 1 tablespoon per gallon of water.

• To increase the humidity around houseplants that need it, set the pot on tray filled with marbles or decorative rock and water. Be sure the drain holes of the pot don't touch the water.

• Monitor all indoor plants for insects on a regular basis. Check the top and underside of the leaves and the soil surface. If insects are found, Insecticidal Soap sprays control most insect pests.