FLORIDA

Winter Annuals
Now is the ideal time for cool-weather annuals. Pansies, violas (their smaller relatives), and Panola Series pansies (a cross between the two) will flower throughout most of the winter. As with all winter annuals, they need full sun to flower well. Snapdragons (shown at right), petunias, dianthus, twinspurs, and nemesias also love the cool weather. While they may not flower until late winter or early spring in northernmost Florida, the plants will grow all winter. Other annuals that prefer the winter in Florida include sweet alyssums, calendulas, nasturtiums, and lobelias. In South Florida add geraniums, impatiens, verbenas, begonias, and torenias to the list. Feed regularly with a slow-release fertilizer such as Osmocote Vegetable & Bedding 14-14-14.

Entire State
Trees--Plant trees now, but do it right to ensure success. Select the best tree for your nee ds. When you plant the tree, dig the planting hole two to three times the width of the root-ball but no deeper. Avoid setting the tree in the ground any deeper than it was growing in its nursery container. Apply 2 to 3 inches of mulch, but leave 1 to 2 inches of air space around the trunk. After planting, water the root-ball of the tree thoroughly three times a week for the first six weeks. Then reduce waterings to twice a week.

North and Central
Pruning--Deciduous fruit trees, roses, and crepe myrtles can be pruned this month. To learn about choosing the right tools, see "Time To Prune" below.

Lawns--If you overseeded your permanent lawn with ryegrass in fall, fertilize with 3 pounds of 15-0-15 fertilizer per 1,000 square feet. If you didn't overseed, there's still time to green up areas of your lawn. With a spreader, broadcast 10 pounds of ryegrass seeds per 1,000 square feet. To cover bare areas, use at a little heavier rate.

South
Herbs--Take advantage of the cooler weather to seed basil (shown below), parsley, coriander, dill, fennel, and thyme. Choose a site that's predominantly sunny.

Tropical poinsettia--For extremely showy color, plant mussaenda, a shrub sometimes known as tropical poinsettia or red flag. Probably the most spectacular of mussaendas is the selection 'Queen Sirkit.' The large flowers, in shades of ivory to pale pink, appear most of the year. But don't be alarmed if growth slows and flowering stops in the winter when temperatures drop steadily below 60 degrees. The plants won't be harmed unless temperatures drop below 40 degrees. Mussaendas are full-sun plants, requiring at least morning sun to bloom.

Central
Citrus--Most citrus are cold hardy down to the upper 20s. Limes and lemons can be damaged by prolonged temperatures around 30 degrees. If a hard, extended freeze is forecast, be sure to protect the graft union of the tree by mounding soil a foot high against the trunk.

Time To Prune
Just like birddogs and husbands, shade trees need training. Only in this case, you can't use a rolled-up newspaper. Training trees means removing, thinning, or shortening selected branches.

For most deciduous shade trees, winter is a great time to prune because with the leaves off, you can easily see which branches need work. (Don't prune maples and birches now, though, or they'll "bleed" sap. Do it in summer.)