WEEK 1

CHARLOTTE B. TEAGLE/Staff (ENLARGE)

Bradfords can break apart in spring storms. Some judicious pruning is a smart preventive.

RELATED Prune, water sod and dig

Control wild onions in your lawn. Spray with broadleaf weedkiller or imazaquin (Image for nutgrass). Another option is to use a dandelion fork to dig up the hidden bulblets.

If a stream bank is wearing away, several plants are capable of fighting the erosion. Consider 'Little Henry' itea, 'Hummingbird' summersweet, inkberry holly and sweetshrub.

Examine marginally winter-hardy plants for scorched leaves. Candidates include oleander, Confederate jasmine and aucuba. Wait until April to prune out damaged branches.

Azaleas whose limbs are covered with lichens can be rejuvenated by pruning them to 8 to 12 inches high. You'll miss their blooms, but the new growth that occurs in May will be quick and vigorous.

WEEK 2

Need to determine the value of a damaged tree for insurance purposes? Find an International Society of Arboriculture expert at www.georgiaarborist.org.

'Bradford' pear trees are known to break apart in spring storms. Consider shortening long limbs and removing crowded branches to minimize the strain.

Lawn mower blades need to be sharpened every year. Clamp the blade in a vise and use a flat file to sharpen it at the same angle it had when new, about 45 degrees. If it has more than a couple of deep nicks, install a new blade.

Burning pampas grass (or any other grass, including a Bermuda grass lawn) is a terrible idea. Use a saw to cut the brown stems of ornamental grasses 6 to 12 inches from the ground.

WEEK 3

Mustard greens are one of the easiest leafy vegetables to grow, even in a small spot. Scatter some seed now, and again every three weeks until warm weather arrives. Sow again starting in August for a fall and early-winter crop.

Dusty white lime deposits can build up on indoor fountains or nearby floors when you use tap water in them. Use vinegar and a nylon pad to scrub away the calcium.

Spruce trees do not take kindly to Georgia summer heat. Try Arizona cypress, Japanese false cypress, hinoki cypress, deodar cedar or even hemlock instead.

Continue spot-spraying or digging out broadleaf weeds in your lawn. The best weed control is vigorously growing grass, so fertilize fescue lawns now and again in April.

WEEK 4

Watch nurseries for the arrival of bare-root fruit trees. They should be planted as soon as possible. Buy only the varieties known to do well in Georgia. (More details at http://xrl.us/FRUITS.)

Despite their claims, liquid or powdered soil-aerifying products do little to permanently soften clay soil. The best solution is to till and add organic matter or aerate your lawn once a year. Now is a good time to aerate fescue turf.

Ladybugs can be a real nuisance when they crawl indoors on a warm day. Rubberband a sock to the end of a hose-type vacuum and suck up all you can find. Invert the sock outdoors and let the harmless insects wander to a new home.

Divide overgrown pots of peace lily. The leaves will wilt slightly as they adjust to losing roots in the transplant process. Give them bright light, don't keep the soil soggy and they will gradually recover.