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iBY KENNER P. LOVE
Extension agent, ANR
Crop & Soil Sciences ; S.The following are gardenjtfS tips and advice from the Rappahannock Extension Office for the month of tficember. -'.21* Leave a bare circle, one fS5t wide, around fruit tree JgBnks when spreading mulch wpthe mice won’t nest there. Also wrap the trunks to prevent rabbit damage.
• Fruit trees can be pruned at any time during the winter provided the temperature is above 45 degrees.
Mice chew off the bark of fruit trees at ground level or below and often completely girdle a tree causing it to die. Tp , reduce this damage, keep mulch pulled away from the base of the tree and examine mulch frequently for the presence of mice.
• We often forget the spots outdoors where rain doesn’t reach. Check moisture around foundation plantings beneath a roof overhang and water if necessary.
• Do filling and grading around the yard. The loose soil will settle during the cold months.
• Minimize traffic on a frozen lawn to reduce winter damage.
• Tender plants in perennial gardens benefit from a light covering of evergreen boughs oF oak branches with their leaves intact. The purpose of this covering is to lessen desiccation or drying out by wind. Take care not to smother the plants. You should be able to see the plants through the branches.
• If outdoor plants dry out during the winter, the foliage can be damaged. Water plants in late summer and fall, especially if rain has been less than normal, and on warm winter days if soil is dry.
• If stored bulbs begin to shrivel, they are too dry. Place
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