Don't let the winter doldrums keep you out of the garden this month. Lawns, plants, trees and shrubs are all living things that require year-round TLC. A little work now will yield a healthy landscape in the spring. Follow these simple steps and your yard will soon be the pride of the neighborhood!

Keep Your Yard Clear. Heavy objects such as lawn furniture and toys can create dead spots in the spring. 

Protect Newly Planted Trees. Prevent bark splitting on newly-planted trees by wrapping trunks with burlap strips or a commercial tree wrap. Visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension site for more information about protecting trees. 

Water Properly. This past fall was very dry, so be sure your plants have enough water. Watering on warm days in January, February and March is important. 

Mulch. Mulch helps control erosion, retain moisture and stabilize soil temperature. A two-inch layer of mulch material, such as fir bark, pine needles or wood chips, reduces water loss to maintain uniform soil moisture around roots. 

Prune. Winter is a good time to prune certain trees and shrubs. Pruning keeps plants healthy and reduces the risk of falling branches. Visit the Virginia Cooperative Extension site or check out CaseyTrees' how-to videos to learn more. 

Test Your Soil. A soil test provides a list of recommendations for soil amendments to help you make the right decisions for your lawn. If the results indicate you need to fertilize, make sure you fertilize at the right time of year for your grass (see below). 

Know Your Grass. Cool season grasses such as tall fescue, fine fescue and rye grass should be fertilized in the fall (if needed). Warm season grasses such as zoysia grass, centipede grass and Bermuda grass should be fertilized (if needed). If/when you fertilize, check the weather to make sure rain is not in the near forecast to prevent fertilizer runoff. 

For more lawn and garden tips, visit www.askHRgreen.org