Tips for the garden - December

Tis the season to be jolly!

The festive break is just around the corner and whether you plan to spend time this month relaxing, celebrating with family or working, it is a time to be jolly and take a well-earned rest.

Time is flying by, but the good news is that if you do have a lot to organise with very little time, the garden can wait. 

December is the perfect month for armchair gardening. There is always plenty to do, but the majority of jobs can roll into the new year. If you are growing in the greenhouse, you may need to carry out regular health checks to ensure aphids are not overwintering and seedlings are growing well.

We’ve seen the complete range of seasonal weather rolled into one this month. Warm sunshine, snow, and a frozen, cold spell. The weather is slightly warm for this time of year, but winter prep should continue as normal.

You can be as active, or inactive as you like this month, the below is a guide if you are feeling energetic!

Maintaining the garden

• Keep raking up all those leaves and check for any disease. If some of your roses had blackspot this year. Remove these leaves and rake up any strays and dispose to avoid spread.
• Prune overgrown hedges.
• Cover and insulate outdoor taps and clean hoses ready to be stored over the next few months.
• Install hard-wearing paths to enable easy navigation through the garden and to help protect the soil structure.
• Repair fences, replace broken stakes and check sheds for any damage.
• Send your lawn mower and garden tools out for a service ready for spring.
• Keep an eye on your stored fruit and vegetables and check for mice and other rodents looking for a free, festive lunch!
• Clear weeds and mulch borders.
• Continue to clean bird feeders, baths and water troughs with Vitax Greenhouse Disinfectant to prevent disease. 
• If heavy snow falls, remove from glass structures such as greenhouses and cold frames to prevent damage.
• Create a winter wreath with plants from the garden. Holly, evergreens and plants with berries, are perfect.
• Regularly checking the greenhouse will help to ensure the heaters are working, aphids are kept in check and disease kept at bay.
• Don’t forget to buy next year’s seeds and bulbs!

The edible garden

• Lift all root vegetables before the big freeze sets in (that is if we get one!).
• If you live in a mild area where the ground rarely freezes, protect root vegetables and keep the warmth in the soil by adding straw to the surface.
• Put netting over brassicas, kale etc for protection.
• Brassicas that are growing tall will need to be staked to prevent wind damage.
• Spend time in the greenhouse planting seed for the spring.
• Aubergines, chillis etc. can be grown at any time as long as they are kept warm in the greenhouse.
• Winter prune apple and pear trees and reshape.
• Continue to protect fruit trees against pests by applying a winter tree wash, tree bands and fruit tree grease to prevent infestations. Take a look at the ‘Protect trees in winter for summer success’ for some handy tips.

Festive blooms

• Continue to prune. Wisteria, Japanese Maples etc. can all be cut back to encourage growth in spring.
• Check dahlia tubers.
• Start to plant sweet peas. Grow Tubes are ideal to use and helps to protect roots. Grow Tubes can also be used for beans, peas, and tap-rooted plants grown from seed.
• It is bare root season and although bare root plants can be planted throughout the year, it is best to plant whilst dormant. To give the roots the best start, add Q4 Rootmore with Mycorrhizal Fungi when planting out.
• Check overwintering plants in the greenhouse for pests such as spider mites.
• Over the festive period you may give or receive a houseplant. Take a look at our blog on festive plants and how to care for them.
• Houseplants bring much needed colour to the home, with some fantastic winter plants. Plant amaryllis for spectacular colour over the festive period.
• If you are going to buy a poinsettia, now is the time!

December really is a time for relaxing and doing what you enjoy most. Take time for yourself, whether you celebrate the festive period or not, and we will see you bright and early next year.

Happy festive season everyone.