Take the following steps to keep your plants healthy and pest-free this winter. Refer to the UC IPM Seasonal Landscape IPM Checklist for more monthly pest management to-dos for your region so you can prevent pests and their damage in the garden and landscape.

Here are some general pest tips for the month of December:

• Clean up fallen fruit and leaves to avoid harboring pests.
• Protect sensitive plants from frost or cold injury when freezing temperatures are predicted.
• Hose aphids off of sturdy plants or apply insecticidal oils and soaps....