This week’s gardening tips: fruit trees, weeds and holiday cactus edition

this winter and early spring, such as peach, apple, pear, plum, fig, blueberry, grape and nectarine, you must choose types and cultivars adapted to our mild winter climate. Contact your local LSU AgCenter Extension office for a free copy of “Louisiana Home Orchard,” or click here for the online version.
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When planting hardy fruit trees this winter and early spring, such as peach, apple, pear, plum, fig, blueberry, grape and nectarine, you must choose types and cultivars adapted to our mild winter climate. Contact your local LSU AgCenter Extension office for a free copy of “Louisiana Home Orchard,” or click here for the online version.

Keep garden beds free from weeds. A 2 to 3 inch layer of mulch will prevent most cool-season weed seeds from sprouting. It’s more effective to keep weeds under control with regular efforts than to try to correct a situation that has gotten out of control due to inattention.

After your holiday cactus plant stops blooming, don’t forget to move it into a sunny window for the rest of the winter. Keep it evenly moist but not constantly wet as this promotes root rot.

As we move into the coldest part of the winter, don’t forget to keep materials handy to cover tender plants in the landscape during freezes.

Bare-root roses become available area garden centers in January. These should be planted by February while they are still dormant. Plant them into well prepared, sunny beds with excellent drainage.

Though they should have already been planted by now, you can plant spring flowering bulbs, like Leucojum, Ipheion, Anemone, Narcissus, Zephyranthes, Ranunculus, Ornithogalum, daffodils and Spanish bluebells, and still expect good results.