With the holiday season in full swing, many of us have forgotten about our homes and gardens. However, if you’re fortunate enough to have a few days off this year, why not catch up on some home and garden chores. Here are a few timely tips.

 

- Fluttering moths in your kitchen? Indian meal moths are often brought into the home during the holiday cooking season in cereal or grain products. Moths are 3/8 inches long with 1/2 inch long brownish-gray wings. Adults lay eggs and small whitish larva with dark heads feed on grains. Check foods for larva and place all insect-free foods in insect proof containers such as glass jars or plastic containers.

 

- Forgot to plant some of your bulbs? Don’t try to hold them over until spring indoors. The bulbs will dry out. Plant them outside. Planting them late may cause them not to flower in the spring, but it’s still better to get them in the ground now.

 

- Move your live tree outside after Christmas and decorate it for the birds. Place the tree in a bucket of damp sand. Put on strings of popcorn and cranberries. Apples, oranges, leftover breads and pine cones covered with peanut butter dipped in bird seed can be added. Push the edible ornaments well into the tree for best results.

- Erect barriers such as wire mesh or hardware cloth to protect young trees and shrubs from rabbit and vole damage. Favorite plants on the menu include blueberries, roses, fruit trees and even blackberries.

 

- An additional layer of mulch is usually recommended during winter months after the first freeze. Mulches will reduce water loss from the soil, thus aiding in transpiration, and also help to regulate soil temperature.

 

- If concerned about wood rot, repair any leaks, faulty plumbing, leaky gutters and downspouts. Besides preventing wood, repairing leaks saves water. Also, provide adequate cross ventilation beneath buildings to eliminate dead air pockets, and avoid placing dense shrubs in front of foundation vents.

 

- Mist houseplants or place them on a pebble-lined tray of water to increase humidity. House plants commonly suffer during winter due to the warm dry air supply by furnaces, heat pumps, and wood stoves.

 

- Remember to fertilize pansies and other cool-season annuals and vegetables.

 

- Check for scale on evergreens, such as hollies, camellias and euonymus. Look for white deposits on the underside of mottled leaves. Spray with dormant oil, being sure to coat the underside of the leaves

 

For more information on lawn and garden topics, check out the UGA Cooperative Extension Service homepage at www.ugaextension.com.