WEEK 1

There is a lot more to the iris world than plain old bearded iris. Try growing crested iris in a shady spot and Japanese or Louisiana iris in a wet area. Next fall plant Dutch iris for early spring blooms.

(ENLARGE)

Red Dazzler Louisiana iris

Numerous holes observed in the bark of maple, pecan, magnolia and 'Bradford' pear trees are probably the work of yellow-bellied sapsucker woodpeckers. Despite the apparent damage, trees seem to survive the yearly onslaught just fine.

Repotting a cactus too big for its container? Use fast-draining cactus soil for the project. Wrap wide strips of newspaper several pages thick around the cactus trunk to lift it without damage to your fingers.

Boxwood roots are very sensitive to too-wet or too-dry soil. Make sure gutter downspouts do not empty nearby. Note that bronze foliage now is usually a normal product of winter cold.

WEEK 2

Thinking about changing careers? The horticulture industry has jobs available. Educational classes abound at local colleges and universities. Visit www.workoutdoors.com to see your options.

Don't be hasty to prune away bare limbs that appear to have been damaged by cold. Even though the leaves are brown, the stems may be healthy and able to sprout new leaves.

Use care when planting a shrub under a tree, close to the trunk. Use a small shovel to excavate between and under large roots, making room for the shrub roots to coexist.

Now is a good time to start bamboo control. Chop all canes down to the ground first. As new sprouts appear, either mow them down or spray with a nonselective herbicide like glyphosate (Roundup, etc).

WEEK 3

Preparing a new bed for flowers or vegetables? For every 10 square feet of area, thoroughly mix in a 2-cubic-foot bag of soil conditioner and two 40-pound bags of gritty underlayment sand.

River birch, red maple trees and muscadine vines are notorious for bleeding profusely if pruned in early spring. Though distressing, the leaking sap does not harm the plants, and the bleeding will stop in a week.

When a plant simply refuses to grow larger, the root system is weak or compromised. Dig it up, replant in softer soil and keep the soil moderately moist this summer.

Whiteflies on gardenias and lacebugs on azaleas are easy to control if you drench the soil around them now with a systemic insecticide. Look for products containing imidacloprid or disulfoton.

WEEK 4

If you planted clover or rye as a cover crop on your dormant vegetable garden, now's the time to mow it down and till the "green manure" into the soil.

Bougainvillea, Boston fern and geraniums that have been overwintered indoors can be taken outside when night temperatures are consistently above 50 degrees.

Voles are short-tailed mice that love to eat the center of prized hostas. If you don't have an aggressive cat, set out near affected plants a half-dozen mousetraps baited with peanut butter. Cover each trap with an overturned cardboard box to prevent harming birds.

It may be warm outdoors now, but it is still too early to be planting tomatoes or summer annuals. Wait at least until April 15 or until the soil temperature is above 60 degrees. Check temps at www.georgiaweather.net.