December in the Garden

Hello gardeners! How are you enjoying the latest weather roller coaster? Bringing tender potted plants inside one freezing day, then putting them back outside in the warm eighty degree sunshine the next. I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted! December is when we normally coast into a predictable winter weather pattern here in Central Texas. Therefore, gardening often, and should, be less of a priority during the holidays. The colder weather has slowed growth and hopefully is providing enough moisture to reduce the need to irrigate. Use this time to thoroughly enjoy the results of your labors and spend time in the garden with friends and family. And if you pull the stray weed while giving a guided tour, that’s just a bonus.

And if you are looking for a special gift for a gardener, we have some thoughts on that too. Remember that the average first freeze for Austin at Camp Mabry is anywhere from November 29th through December 5th depending on the period of record. We recommend you have some plankets ready for any tender plants. They are awesome and have saved our plants from frost many times!

See below for many more things that should be on your December gardening to-dos and visit the Lakeway Garden Club for more late fall / early winter tips and tricks. Happy gardening and have a very safe and happy holidays!

December Garden Tips

Flowers to Plant

• Allyssum, Sweet
• Calendula
• Centaurea
• Johnny Jump Up
• Larkspur
• Pansies

Vegetable Seeds to Sow

• Greens – cool season
• Radishes

Things to Sow or Transplant

• Asian Greens
• Lettuce
• Spinach

December Garden To-Dos

Protect tender plants from freezes

All new transplants will need protection (like a Planket) from their first frost. You can seed or transplant hardy winter greens into the vegetable garden but be prepared to protect from frost. Remove any annuals that were killed or burned by frost.

Start prepping for your 2023 vegetable garden

Pay attention to the forecast. If temperatures are predicted to fall below 28° cover plants with row cover, securing edges with soil, bricks, rocks or pins. Plant small flats of broccoli, cauliflower, kale, mustard, collards and cabbage for transplanting in mid-January. Start shopping for seed potatoes and order for the February planting season.

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.

Don’t forget to fertilize

Continue to feed vegetables with fish emulsion or other water-soluble fertilizer every two weeks. Soil microbe activity slows down in the cold so supplemental fertilizer may be needed. There is no need to fertilizer any other plant.

Build up your soil

Use mild days to turn compost and build up mulch. Add a thin layer of compost over newly planted ground covers and vines. Remove leaves or other debris off lawn surface if they are covering the leaf blades. Green grasses continue to capture sunlight and build reserves during mild winter periods.

Get a grip on the weeds

Keep up with weeds while they are young, before they have a chance to put down roots. A sharp hoe or cultivator makes quick work in vegetable beds. Small weeds sprouting up in crushed granite are easily dislodged with a few passes of a wide landscape rake. The key in both soil and granite is to go after weeds when they are small and do it regularly so they never have a chance to take root.

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.)

Carefully review fruit trees and roses for other disease

Look for dead, dried fruit or blossoms called “mummies” on fruit trees, vines, and bushes. Remove and throw in the trash, do not compost. Remove all fallen fruit. Check for leaf spot on roses. If there are signs of fungal disease, remove the leaves off the stem and rake the fallen leaves together for disposal. Do not add to compost.

Don’t forget about water

Water vegetable beds so that plantings do not dry out. Check the soil first, irrigate only if the soil is dry a few inches below the surface or in newly established seedbeds.

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.

Maintain your tools

Well kept tools work better and last longer. Take advantage of mild winter days to tidy up the tool shed and the greenhouse. Remove rust from tools and apply a light coat of machine oil for protection. Sharpen, clean, and oil your tools so you can enjoy them for a lifetime in the garden.

Garden Tips courtesy of The Natural Gardener and Texas AgriLife Extension.