There’s not a lot going on in the garden this month which is good because chances are your time is full of other commitments. Now is a great time to work on your plans for next year’s garden. Pull out the notes you’ve made throughout the year and make your revisions on paper before you tackle the projects in the spring. Do maintenance on your gardening tools. Oil shovels, picks and spades to prevent rusting. Clean, sharpen and oil other tools to keep them in good shape for when you need them in the spring.
Color: There are still a lot of varieties available as both annuals and perennials. Plant a combination of red and white flowers for holiday cheer. Alyssum, Bacopa, Begonia, Cyclamen, Dianthus, Geranium, Gerbera, Impatiens, Osteospermum, Pansy, Salvia, and Verbena are among a few. Poinsettias, which are native to Mexico, can also be used as color in the garden. They’ll be happiest on a drip system which will keep the leaves dry.
Fruits & Vegetables: Plant bare root fruit trees this month. Prune established fruit trees once they’ve dropped their leaves. Spray as needed following manufacturer’s instructions carefully. Cut back grape vines. Artichokes, asparagus, beets, broccoli, Brussels’ sprouts, cabbage, carrots, cauliflower, celery, kale, lettuce, peas, potatoes and radishes can all be planted now. Don’t be afraid to try something new.
Roses & Flowers: Stop watering and fertilizing established roses this month and let them harden unless we get
a heat wave. Bare root roses can be planted this month. Now is a good time to transplant roses.
Remember to take as much of the roots as possible and keep well watered.
Also: Natives can also be pruned lightly now in order to maintain a uniform shape.
Cut back Wisteria. Remove the long, thin branches that have become intertwined with the old wood.
If you haven’t done so yet, plant your bulbs. Bulbs that don’t need to be refrigerated can be planted until December 25th. If you wait longer than that, you run the chance of having fewer, smaller flowers. Other bulbs with higher cold requirements need to be planted in cold soil. If the weather is cool, between Christmas and New Years, plant then. Otherwise wait until the soil temperature drops being sure to plant before January 10th.
Protect tender plants from frost by covering them with a non-plastic material when frost threatens. Keeping plantings well hydrated will help frost survival also. A turgid plant will recover from frost better than a dry plant. Should a frost damage your garden, don’t be tempted to prune off the damaged parts. They’ll help protect the plant from further damage should another frost occur. Trim these parts off later in the year when all risk of frost has past.
