Gardening Jobs For December

As the year draws to a close, the garden may seem to be entering a period of dormancy, but beneath the surface, life is stirring. December offers a unique opportunity for gardening – preparing for the vibrant months ahead. By taking the time to complete essential gardening tasks now, you’ll set the stage for a flourishing spring and summer.

Follow along for top notch gardening tips and maintenance advice that you can be getting on with now, to ensure a healthy and beautiful garden through the winter months.

Beds and Borders Care

• Where better to start your December gardening than with beds and borders? The alpine varieties of your garden will need all the light they can get at this time of year. Take some time to inspect the crowns of the plants, removing any fallen leaves.
• Fill the garden with a beautiful fragrance by planting a winter-flowering shrub, such as Daphne or Viburnum bodnantese.
• Any container grown plants can be vulnerable to waterlogging in winter. Tackle this by raising pots from the ground with pot feet or bricks, allowing excess moisture to drain away. Dry, windy weather will quickly dry out compost in pots – keep an eye on containers and water when necessary to keep the plants healthy.
• Control leaf spot on your hellebores, cordyline, and phormiums by spraying a fungicide.
• Hoe the bases of trees and shrubs to keep them weed-free, tossing removed weeds onto the compost heap.
• Cut off dead stems from wall shrubs and climbers, then tie in any wayward shoots to prevent them from snapping off in windy weather. Remove dead, diseased or dying branches from deciduous trees.

Be Wary of Frozen Ponds

• Ponds are delightful features of the garden, offering such an important habitat for all manner of wildlife. However, at this time of the year there is a chance garden ponds will freeze over.
• Don’t break the ice by simply hammering on the surface with a blunt object, such as a spade, as this can cause underwater shock waves, which can harm fish. Instead create a small hole or holes by softly pouring warm water onto the surface.
• Be prepared when frost is on the way by floating a rubber ball on the surface. Once the water has frozen, remove the ball, leaving behind a hole.

The Kitchen Garden

• Turning to the kitchen garden, cover up winter cabbages, kale varieties, and any other remaining crops using a fine mesh. This will protect them from pigeons.
• This is your last chance to pick those final apples and pears from trees. Store the fruit away in frost-free garages or sheds.
• Prune red currant bushes by cutting away the leading shoots that developed this year to roughly 7.5cm of the older growth. Reduce the side branches to a single bud.
• Check your stored beetroot, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and onions, discarding any that are soft or show signs of rotting.

Lastly – Don’t Forget!

• Cover up compost bays and bins with a lid – even a piece of old carpet or heavy-duty plastic will stop the mix from turning soggy.
• During any dry spells in winter, you may want to spend some time treating wooden fences, arches, and garden furniture, if you haven’t done so already this year, to offer extra protection from weathering. Be sure to remove any surface dirt first and allow to dry fully, then pull on some gloves and start applying oil, water, or paint-based preservatives.
• Remove and replace wire supports used for training fruit against walls and fences with medium gauge galvanised wire.
• If a flurry of snow descends on the country, brush away snow from the tops of hedges and shrubs, as the added weight can cause branches to splay and eventually snap.

What gardening have you got planned for December? We’d love to see your progress! Share pictures on our customer dedicated Facebook page here!