Gardening in December

Do not forget to check plants or fruits stored for next year. Discard soft material or any showing signs of fungus or rot.

This is the last good month to plant spring flowering bulbs. If it is too wet or too cold to enjoy the task, plant in pots for forcing in the spring. Mulch and place in a sheltered location.

Pick a dry day to apply dormant sprays on roses and fruit trees.

Leaves – reward yourself for raking them and the trees for making them. If possible, use your mower to shred and bag, or shred and collect in rows. Then place them as a mulch in the garden, compost pile, or use as a mulch in the landscape. If shredded, they compost faster and will not blow away easily. In the landscape, cover with bark for a more attractive look.

Do not forget the plants under the leaves or under large evergreen trees. These locations could be too dry, despite lots of rain. A dry plant will suffer more during very cold weather. If you use a hose to water, be sure to drain both it AND the nozzle.

Check houseplants for adequate moisture. Heating systems in winter will produce more drought in a pot than expected. Also, many tropical plants will begin to show new growth soon, so consider fertilizer for them if they haven’t received any recently.