Or how I learned to garden on a temperature rollercoaster

This darn December weather! Will you need a jacket and sweater tomorrow or shorts and a t-shirt? Who the heck knows? Certainly not the weather forecasters. Welcome to the Central Texas winter temperature rollercoaster. How our native plants survive this beats me. How does your garden fare with these wild temp swings from the 30s to the 70s?

December Garden Tips

Flowers to Plant

Pansies
Violas
Centaurea
Calendula
Larkspur
Alyssum

Seeds to Sow or Transplant

Cool season greens (Sow)
Radishes (Sow)
Asian greens (Sow or Transplant)
Lettuce (Sow or Transplant)
Spinach (Sow or Transplant)

December Garden To-Dos

Protect tender plants from freezes

All new transplants will need protection from their first frost.

Prune deciduous trees and shrubs

This is a great month to prune crepe myrtles and other deciduous landscape plants. Now that the branches are bare, the overall form of the plant is much easier to see and shape. You have from now until February, before the trees start to leaf out.

Spray fruit trees with fungicide

To keep apple, pear, peach, and plums healthy, these fruit trees need to be put on a spray schedule. (Figs, pomegranates, persimmons, and do not need this treatment.)

Look out for plum curculio

Plum curculio is a pest that calls for treatment in late winter.

A greener option than cut or artificial trees

Consider purchasing a living Christmas tree for the holidays. Arizona cypress, Aleppo, and Italian stone pines are all attractive options that can be planted in the landscape after. Avoid keeping these trees indoors for any longer than two weeks. Our homes feel very different from the outdoors, so it’s important to both gradually introduce your tree into your home for Christmas, and to also reintroduce it to the outdoors after the holiday.