Plant bare-root beauties now and reap the rewards later

Take a garden break from holiday happenings. Need ideas?

▪ Bare-root roses, fruit trees, cane berries and grapes can be planted now in the ground or containers. Before planting, hydrate by soaking roots in water overnight.

▪  Prune deciduous trees now while you can see their true shape and framework. Remove crossing branches and dead wood. Make cuts above an outside-facing bud or existing lateral branch.

▪  If an onion sprouts in your vegetable drawer, pot it up and place it in a sunny window. The bulb will soon produce bright-green tops – great for salads, baked potatoes or other uses.

▪  Stay on frost alert. If sub-32-degree overnight temperatures are forecast, shield frost-tender plants such as citrus and soft-stemmed succulents with a cloth sheet – not plastic. If a plant has already been burned by frost, leave the damage alone until spring. That brown foliage can protect the plant from further harm.

This story was originally published December 22, 2017 at 2:00 PM with the headline "Plant bare-root beauties now and reap the rewards later."