While the National Weather Service does not anticipate northern New Jersey's first freeze until mid-October, master gardeners advise there is a lot residents can do to prepare their outdoor areas for winter.

Spokesman Bill Goodman with the National Weather Service in Brookhaven, New York, said that a cold snap is still a ways off.

"There is nothing in the forecast for the next seven days, but the median date for a freeze is Oct. 20, not until Nov. 1 closer to New York City," Goodman said.

But because of the state's ongoing drought, Arnie Friedman — outreach chairman for the Master Gardeners of Bergen County and a professional horticulturist — says it's not yet time for residents to winterize their outdoor areas.

"The most important thing is to keep watering," Friedman said. "We would n

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