1. Cover strawberry beds with 2" of straw (not hay). This will protect the plants from cold and winds, control weeds and warm the soil earlier in the spring.
2. Clean up all fallen leaves from blueberry beds, then add a 2" thick layer of pine needles, straw or pine bark mulch around the plants. This will insulate the roots during the winter.
3. Sharpen, clean and repair all hand tools before storing them.
4. If rainfall has been light, deeply water all trees and shrubs before the ground freezes.
5. Protect any half-hardy shrubs by surrounding them with a wire cage and cover them with a thick layer of dry leaves.
6. Wrap the trunks of young trees to protect their tender bark from frost injury.
7. If you haven't already, cut grass low to prevent mold from forming under snow cover.
8. After the ground freezes, cover perennials with mulch; this will prevent frost-thaw cycles from heaving them out of the ground.
9. Turn the compost pile and add water if it feels dry.
10. Prune roses back to 8"-12" tall, mound compost around the bud union and cover with a rose cone.
11. If you are planning to plant a live Christmas tree, dig the hole now before the ground freezes.
12. Continue raking and shredding leaves to add to the compost pile.
13. Mulch plants you want to overwinter with a thick layer of straw.
14. Last chance to plant spring-blooming bulbs such as daffodils and tulips.
15. If you didn't do it last month, cut back perennials, clean all beds of leaves and weeds and edge your lawn.
16. Don't feed your houseplants through the winter, but give them as much light as possible.
17. Clean the foliage of houseplants that will tolerate it (those with smooth, un-fuzzy leaves). Wash both sides. This removes the dust, which allows them to breathe better; it also gives you a great opportunity to check for insects.
18. Make sure you allow your houseplants to dry out between waterings; they do not use as much water in winter as they do in the spring.

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How often do I need to re-pot my plants into larger containers?

Answer:
Unfortunately, plants are not like the fish in your tank that only grow to the size of their home. Plants grow root-bound when the amount of plant root volume exceeds the amount of soil volume in their container.

To check, gently lift out your plant from its container. If you can see mostly roots and very little soil, then it is time to transplant your plant into a larger container.

Select a container that is about 20% larger in volume than your existing pot. A good rule of thumb is not to use a container that is more than 4 inches wider and deeper than your existing root ball. Use a good potting soil and make sure that the top of the existing root ball is even with the top of the soil in the new container.

When you are done, you should have no more than 2" of new soil surrounding all sides of the root ball. Add a little plant food, water in and you're good to go!

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