The Lawn in December
Probably the best thing about the lawn in December is you don’t have to do much to it!
Just head inside and enjoy the Christmas festivities!
However, if you are determined to be keen!
Here’s just a few suggestions of lawn tasks:
People ask ‘can I still mow the lawn if the grass is actively growing?’ The answer is ‘if the weather is mild and forecast to remain so – then go ahead!
Keep the lawn free of leaves! This lets the light in, preventing fungal diseases establishing in the early spring, causing dead patches in your turf.
Avoid walking on a frosty lawn, it will damage the turf!
The Flower Garden
You may have taken down baskets containing begonias and temporarily housed them in the greenhouse?
Take them out of the compost and dry off them in an airy place. They will save you money by re-using them next year!
In the same way, if you have not cut back foliage of dahlias and gladioli then do so and store the dahlia tubers and corms of gladioli in trays in a dry situation until required in the spring.
Prune back garden perennials hard as they become dormant, they will grow back as better plants in the spring.
Check stored bulbs for any sign of rot.
There’s still time to sow sweet peas for early flowering next year. Also pelargoniums and cyclamen for indoor growing can be sown now as can antirrhinum for flowering outdoors in the summer.
Protect tender container plants from winter frosts by moving to a greenhouse or conservatory, or in the garden, cover pots with fleece or hessian. Keeping the plant roots on the dry side will also protect them too.
Growing forced winter bulbs?
Remove them from their warm dark positions and place them in cool light conditions. This will keep the stems sturdy and dark green in colour.
Garden Shrubs
Reduce by half the height of roses in the garden to reduce the danger of winter gales loosening the roots and damaging plants.
Shorten the branches of standard roses.
Plant new ‘bare-rooted’ plants from this month.
The Fruit Garden
Fancy some tasty early rhubarb next year?
Dig up an existing clump and plant in a large wooden box.
Keep in a greenhouse or shed after covering the roots with moist compost.
Erect a frame to allow a black plastic sheet to be draped over the box to exclude light till tasty new shoots appear in the early spring.
Plant bare-rooted, so-called ‘cane-fruit’ such as currants, gooseberries, blackberries and tayberries whilst dormant.
Store your apples in a cool, dry place, removing any damaged or diseased fruit. Wooden boxes are ideal.
The Vegetable Plot
It’s a quiet time in the vegetable garden, but there are always things to do.
All being well you will have brussels sprouts for Christmas picking!
Should you have a spare stem available in the allotment, remember you can harvest a whole stem, strip off the leaves and keep the stem in the garage till the sprouts are required right through the holiday period.
You may have planted an early potato in a tub in the greenhouse. All being well you should be harvesting new potatoes for Christmas!
Sow broad beans like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ or the dwarf variety ‘The Sutton’ this month for early crops next year. Protect with cloches or a polythene tunnel in really cold conditions.
For large, or exhibition onions, sow seeds this month in the greenhouse.
Garden Chores
There are always things to do around the garden to support your growing plot.
Here are just a few ideas:
Boring but important, you need to service mowers, hedge cutters and strimmers and don’t forget your hand tools’ clean, sharpen and oil them ready for next year.
Hard work, but at least you can escape to the garage in the holidays!
Clear up dead leaves and other detritus. Don’t leave a winter home for the slugs and snails!
Dismantle and clean bird feeders before providing feed for the winter!
Have a Happy Christmas!
