With cooler weather comes more outdoor activity, particularly in the yard.

November through March offer more pleasant weather to work in, as well as better growing conditions for all kinds of plants.

If you’re planting a winter lawn, overseed established Bermuda grass lawns through mid-November. After your winter grass is first mowed, add high phosphate fertilizer, such as superphosphate or a complete fertilizer that is at least 20 percent phosphorous by weight. This also is the time of year to apply pre-emergent herbicides. Pre-emergent herbicides should not be used in areas where seeds will be planted this season.

Beginning in February, winter lawns may need to be watered once or twice a week depending on rainfall. Overwatering should be avoided, as should mowing the lawn when it is damp. Both practices can result in the spread of fungus. Overwatering, or watering at night can promote fungus growth, so avoid that in the cooler months.

From now through February, plant seeds for beets, bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, chard, collard greens, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onions, peas, radishes, rutabagas, spinach and turnips. Transplanting of cuttings for asparagus, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, Chinese cabbage, cauliflower, chard, kohlrabi and lettuce also will do well this time of year.

Plant potato seeds in January, along with transplants of artichokes. February is the month to put in melon seeds, and pepper and tomato plants can be set out.

In March, add lima and snap beans to the garden, along with jicama, okra, peanuts, pumpkins, radishes, squash and sunflowers.

Flowers can go out now, but be sure to cover them if there are freeze warnings. Wildflower seeds should have been sown by now, but you may have results if you get them out right away. Scratch the ground a little before scattering the seeds, and water them to get the seeds set in the soil.

Flower seeds can go out in March, with bee balm, black-eyed Susans, celosia, cosmos, desert marigold, English daisies, gilia, Indian blanket, hollyhock, marigold, Mexican hat, Mexican sunflower, portulaca, primrose, safflower, sage, snapdragon, sunflower, sweet pea, verbena, wild hyssop and zinnia are good bets that month.

In the herb department, plant anise, basil, bay, caraway, catnip, chamomile, chives, curry, epazote, fennel, feverfew, French tarragon, garlic chives, germander, horehound, hyssop, lavender, lemon balm, lemon grass, lemon verbena, marjoram, mint, oregano, parsley, rue, safflower, sage, salad burnet, santolina, savory, scented geraniums, tansy, thyme and yarrow in March.

Roses should not be fertilized any more this year. Old garden roses can be planted in containers in November. The new rose catalogs come out in December, and bare root roses are available at area nurseries from the middle of December to the end of the month.

In January, roses should be pruned. Area rose societies, garden clubs, nurseries and the Maricopa County Cooperative Extension Office offers pruning demonstrations this time of year. Bare root roses should be transplanted. Pruning should be completed by the middle of February. Begin fertilizing established roses with granular fertilizers in about mid-February. Water roses the day before you fertilize, as well as the day after. Fertilizing should continue once every six weeks, with watering the day before and after. Add ¼ to ½ cup Epsom salts to the soil.

As the weather continues to cool, it is important to not prune frost-sensitive plants, especially if they already have been damaged by frost.

Beginning in November and December, trunks of young citrus and other cold-tender trees should be wrapped with cloth or cardboard. Several layers of newspaper can also be used, but don’t use plastic. Leave the wrapping on them until the threat of frost has passed.

Don’t count on the color of a citrus peel to know whether it is ripe or not. Taste it. If it is not sweet enough, leave the fruit on the tree. Generally, the longer the fruit stays on the tree, the sweeter it is.

Citrus should not be pruned except to remove dead or damaged wood and branches obstructing pathways, views or structures.

Deciduous fruit trees need sufficient chilling for the flower buds to develop properly. Choose a variety of tree that requires fewer than 400 hours of chilling.

In January, deciduous fruit trees and grapes should be pruned. They should be done by mid-February. Attend a pruning session at area nurseries, the extension office or garden clubs for instruction. Bare root deciduous trees should be transplanted this month. Fertilize deciduous fruit trees in February, when they leaf out. Use nitrogen as fertilizer. Prune frost-sensitive citrus after it begins to leaf out with new spring growth.

Fruit on deciduous trees should be thinned to six inch spacing. The earlier this is done after the fruit is set, the better the growth of the fruit left on the tree.

Get your garden and yard ready for the new season. Cut off spent blooms to stimulate new flowers. Reduce watering. Plant winter hardy trees, shrubs and vines. Be prepared for an early winter frost.

In January, you should be prepared to cover plants in case of frost. If the temperature is projected to drop down into the 20s for more than an hour, plants should be covered.

Nonnative deciduous shade trees should be pruned in January. Pruning should be completed by the middle of February.

Living Christmas trees should be moved outside to a shaded, cool area in January. Transplant the tree to its permanent location as soon as soil temperatures are warm.

Water at least once a month unless rains are providing enough moisture to sustain the newly planted areas.

Pull weeds when they are young, and their roots are not established. Get them out before they sprout or set seed.

When frost sensitive plants begin to leaf out in spring, prune them back. Apply mulch around the base of plants to conserve moisture and prevent weeds. If you have had problems with agave weevil, apply a pesticide labeled for use on grubs to kill the weevil in March, and plan to reapply in June.

In the cool months, frost sensitive plants should not be fertilized, and overwatering, or over fertilizing should be avoided.

This information was gathered from the Web site, http://cals.arizona.edu/maricopa.garden/html/mgs/mg-broch.htm.