What to do in the garden in December

As December blankets the garden in winter's embrace, it's time for gardeners to adapt their tasks to ensure a thriving landscape when spring arrives. In this guide, we'll delve into essential tasks for your vegetable, fruit, lawn, tree, shrub, and flower gardens. These expert tips aim not only to encourage growth but also to fortify your garden's overall health, turning it into a sanctuary of abundance during the winter months.

Vegetable Garden

1. Support for Brassicas: Provide stability to your brassicas by earthing up or staking them securely.
2. Frost Protection for Cauliflower: Safeguard cauliflower curds from frost by gently bending over an outer leaf or using horticultural fleece.
3. Ground Preparation: Continue preparing the ground for spring sowing or planting, ensuring a fertile foundation for the upcoming season.
4. Forcing Rhubarb and Winter Vegetables: If needed, force rhubarb and persist in forcing chicory and seakale for early yields.
5. Winter Protection: Shield bay trees from frost and employ netting to ward off pigeons, the primary pests during this season.

 

1. Pruning Practices: Continue pruning fruit trees and bushes, promptly collecting and disposing of prunings to prevent disease.
2. Bonfire Ash for Nutrient Boost: Utilize bonfire ash as a top dressing for trees and bushes, providing a valuable potash feed.
3. Winter Tree Wash: Apply organic winter tree wash selectively, recognizing it doesn't require annual use.
4. Grapevine Care: Persist in pruning grape vines and utilize prunings for hardwood cuttings.
5. Support Check: Regularly check supports and ties for cane fruit, grape vines, and trained fruit trees.
6. Planting for Future Harvests: Continue planting or heeling in trees and bushes as necessary, ensuring a fruitful future.

 

1. Winter Mowing: If the weather permits, lightly mow the lawn to maintain tidiness and prevent overgrowth.
2. Soil Preparation for New Lawns: Begin deep digging the soil for a new lawn in the spring, allowing it to settle before sowing.
3. Leather Jacket Infestations: Tackle leather jacket infestations promptly to prevent brown patches in the turf during dry spells.

 

1. Winter Pruning: Continue winter pruning of roses, ensuring the area beneath remains free of debris to prevent black spots.
2. New Additions: Plant new roses if the soil is workable, and check recent plantings for frost damage.
3. Deciduous Planting: Persist in planting deciduous trees, shrubs, and hedges for a well-rounded garden.
4. Winter Care: Water container plants, check for wind rock, and adjust protective coverings against frost.
5. Weather Check: Assess screening and coverings for wind rock, particularly after wet and windy weather.
6. Herbaceous Beds Cleanup: Continue digging and tidying up herbaceous beds, adding leafy material to compost and removing woody or diseased matter.

 

1. Festive Harvest: Gather holly with berries for Christmas garlands and wreaths, keeping them in water until use.
2. Forced Bulbs Indoors: Bring forced bulbs indoors to brighten your home during the winter.
3. Chrysanthemum Care: Trim late-flowering chrysanthemums and take cuttings for propagation.
4. Carnation Propagation: Propagate perpetual flowering carnations by taking cuttings for a burst of color.
5. Root Cuttings: Take root cuttings of oriental poppies and nurture them in cold frames.
6. Storage Check: Inspect stored bulbs, corms, and tubers for signs of damage.
7. Greenhouse Care: Water overwintering plants in the greenhouse for continued health.
8. Gravel or Grit Addition: Surround alpine plants with fresh gravel or grit.
9. Dahlia Tubers Storage: Lift and store dahlia tubers once their leaves are blackened by frost for preservation.

 

 

As winter wraps our gardens in its tranquil embrace, this guide equips gardeners with essential tasks to nurture a resilient landscape come spring. From fortifying vegetable gardens against frost to tending to fruit trees with bonfire ash, and preparing lawns for the seasons ahead, each expert tip is a step towards creating a flourishing haven during winter. Whether pruning roses, planting deciduous trees, or adorning homes with forced bulbs, these winter rituals not only encourage growth but also promise a future brimming with the vibrancy of nature. Embrace the serenity of winter while laying the foundation for a garden of abundance. Happy gardening!