• Purchase poinsettias early in the month.
• Protect new landscape plants from wind damage.
• Prune hardy dormant deciduous trees, shrubs, and vines.
• Prune fall and winter-blooming shrubs and vines after bloom. Do not prune spring-blooming plants.
• Water living Christmas trees.
• Monitor houseplants for adequate water, fertilizer and humidity. Water and fertilizer requirements generally are less in winter; do not feed dormant houseplants at all.
• Make sure outside plants have adequate soil moisture. Plants need moisture in winter, too.
• Check stored bulbs for rot or fungus. Discard any that have problems.
• Make holiday decorations from outdoor shrubs and trees.
• Don't forget to turn your compost pile.
• Start planning your spring garden.

Cyclamen

Cyclamen should be kept in cool temperatures. Too much heat can cause the leaves to yellow and the plant to stop blooming.

Provide your cyclamen with as much light as possible to encourage blooming. Sunburn usually isn't a problem in winter.

Keep the plant well watered. With good care, it should continue to bloom for another month or two.

Poinsettias

Keep poinsettias away from warm or cold drafts. Keep the soil moist, but not wet. Poinsettias need well-drained soil, so if your plant was wrapped in foil, tear the foil off the bottom so it can drain.

Like cyclamen, poinsettias prefer cooler temperatures, not above 70 degrees. If possible, move your poinsettia to a cooler area at night.

Give it plenty of sun and fertilize it about once a month.

Any active houseplants will also benefit from being fertilized once or twice this winter. But don't feed the ones that are dormant. Let them get some sleep so they'll be rested and ready in the spring!

By Tamara Galbraith

It's December and chances are, you've got a beautifully decorated Christmas tree in your home. When you're ready to take down the decorations, explore all your options of how to reuse or recycle a cut Christmas tree.

Many communities across the country offer a recycling program, whereby trees are collected and ground up into mulch for municipal use. Areas with lots of manmade lakes will sometimes collect and sink old trees into waterways to slow erosion. Check with your local city government or county Extension Office to see if such a tree collection program is in place.

Also, if you have the space and don't mind "the natural look" in your landscape, lay your an old tree in a remote corner of your yard; it makes a great hiding and nesting place for birds, rabbits and other small creatures.

In either case, just be sure all non-natural decorations, like tinsel and ornament hooks, have been removed. While sparkly mulch might have an interesting look, it's not very good for the environment.