From Lisa Johnson, Dane County UW-Extension horticulture educator:

Christmas trees: If you had a live Christmas tree and are disposing of it, you may want to cut off some boughs to use as winter protection for broadleafed evergreens such as rhododendrons, small boxwoods or mountain laurels. Don’t place the boughs directly on top of the plants, form them into a tepee-like structure with the tops either tied together or interwoven. This helps protect the plants from winter wind and sun exposure. Discarded wreaths, swags and garland may also be suitable if supported with a branch or stake framework. Evergreen needles are also great soil amendments for loosening up heavy clay soils. If you can save the discarded boughs, wreaths and roping outdoors till spring when the needles will have all dropped off, you can mix the needles with dried leaves, rice hulls and other organic amendments to improve soils, or put them into your compost.

Vegetables: Seeds will soon begin arriving in garden centers for spring planting, so now is a good time to pore over those garden catalogs and ads that have been clogging up your mailbox (and email box as well!) and check out the new cultivars being offered. You might also want to look into growing the many beautiful and unusual heirloom varieties that are available through specialty growers and companies. You may want to begin by taking inventory of your leftover seed packets and discard older packets. Fresh seeds for the current year germinate best. Many seeds retain good viability for two or more years, but some lose viability quickly. For example, onion seeds usually are only good for one year. If stored properly, corn and peppers generally are viable for two years; beans, carrots and peas for three years; beets, pumpkins, squash, tomatoes, and watermelon seeds for four years; broccoli, cabbage, cucumber, lettuce, cantaloupe, radish and spinach seeds for five years. Seeds stored in a cool, dry environment retain viability the best.

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