WHAT TO PLANT
Annuals/Bedding plants: To add color to the winter garden, plant masses of petunia, pansy, and snapdragon.
Herbs: Plant herbs that thrive in cool weather. Some examples include parsley, thyme, sage, dill, fennel, and cilantro.
Vegetables: Reliable cool-season vegetables to plant this month include celery, cauliflower, lettuce, cabbage, and carrot.
WHAT TO DO
Poinsettias: Enjoy one of the most popular indoor holiday plants. Protect it from cold until spring, and then plant it in the garden for next year.
Cold protection: Prepare now to protect tender plants should cold weather threaten. Canterbury Farms has sheets of commercial-grade frost cloth available for sale in case of a freeze.
Lawn disease: Continue to watch for brown patch and large patch, fungal diseases that cause areas of grass to turn brown. Since treatment is difficult, prevention with proper cultural practices is key. These diseases become active when the soil temperature, measured 2–4 in. deep, is between 65°F and 75°F and go dormant when the weather warms in May.
Landscape and garden pests: Continue monitoring and treat as needed. While cooler weather generally means fewer pests, some populations actually increase at this time of year.