A quarterly newsletter from the Horticulture Division of the LSU AgCenter's School of Plant, Environmental and Soil Sciences.

This edition includes information on Louisiana Master Gardner Program, 2008 All-American Selection Winners, What to do before and after a freeze, pruning everblooming roses, pruning once-blooming roses, Spanish Moss - Friend or Foe?, Have you thanked a tree lately, Turfgrass and Lawns, Vegetables to plant in December, January and February, Crop highlights, Fruitfulness and Pollination.

December, January and February are the best months for transplanting trees and shrubs. Now is the time to make plans on moving these plants in the landscape.

According to Dr. Carl Motsenbocker, organic gardening, or ecological gardening, is not new as it has been practiced for many years throughout the world. In fact, before gardeners relied on the relatively recent practices of using synthetic fertilizers and pesticides, organic gardening was the norm.

If you have a holiday plant, such as a poinsettia, chrysanthemum, Christmas pepper, Christmas begonia, or the like, you can enjoy its colors for several weeks if you give it the right kind of care.

Vegetable producers and home gardeners are making plans for winter gardens during this dry period. November is a great time to establish your vegetable garden by preparing your rows, taking a soil sample and selecting what you plan on growing.

In November of each year, our warm-season turf-grasses will soon be going into a dormant state throughout the winter until the changing season brings them back to life in the spring. There are some hardy gardeners who love to have a green lawn throughout the year, so an over-seeding of perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne) is done October 15 through mid-November.

We are in a transitional period with landscape beds as unwanted plants (i.e. weeds) are popping up at this time of year due to heavy rainfall, thinning or washed away mulch, or other reasons. Now is a great time to re-mulch your landscape beds as you transition for the spring season.

LSU AgCenter agents receive numerous calls regarding diseases in tomatoes and other garden crops. Many times, home gardeners inflict problems by not following label directions on herbicide and other pesticides.

May is a good time to consider planting some annual bedding plants or herbaceous perennials for the summer ahead.