December in the Garden – 2023 Edition

Greetings, Lakeway gardeners! As winter approaches, our gardens begin to slumber. Your tasks this month are to protect tender plants from frost, clean up debris, and plan for spring. Water deeply and infrequently to keep your garden healthy throughout the winter. December is the time when we normally coast into a predictable winter weather pattern here in Central Texas. Gardening often, and should, be less of a priority during the holidays. The colder weather will slow growth and provide enough moisture to reduce the need to irrigate. Use this time to thoroughly enjoy the results of your summer and fall 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.

Drought Update: Great news! Most of Travis County has decreased to only a state of extreme drought (instead of exceptional). Austin still has a 40% chance of a wetter-than-average winter, per NOAA. Let’s hope this winter’s El Niño rains will ease our drought even further.

USDA Zone Map Update

In other gardening news, there was a long overdue update to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s “plant hardiness zone map,” which is the national standard for gardeners and growers to figure out which plants are most likely to survive the coldest winter temperatures in their location. It is the first update since 2012 and not surprisingly, the majority of our area has shifted half a zone further warmer from 8b to 9a. You can even type in your zip code to see how your specific area has been affected. What does this mean to Lakeway? Well we can grow a few more varieties of tropical plants such as citrus in our milder winters. Unfortunately for many gardeners, we are still not yet warm enough to plant those beloved avocado trees outdoors.

LGC Holiday Gift Guide

If you are looking for a special Holiday Gardener Gift Guide, we have some thoughts on that too. Lakeway gardeners are a special breed. They are passionate about their plants and they love to spend time outdoors. But finding the perfect gift for a Lakeway gardener can be tough. That’s why we’ve put together this list of gift ideas that are sure to please even the most discerning green thumb. We have covered everything from excellent bypass pruners to hydroponics and from garden sleeves to almanacs. There is something for everyone!

Below we have many more helpful garden tips for your December to-do list. You can also visit the Lakeway Garden Club for even more fall garden tips and tricks. Our Events Calendar showcases many local or online classes and special events happening this winter. And as always, happy gardening!

LGC Member News

Save the date for our festive holiday Member Mixer on Thursday, December 7th! We will be talking about smart gardening, holiday plants, gift guides and opportunities for volunteering in local garden projects. We’d love to display photos of our members’ gardens, so please send them in and we’ll share them during the meeting. And finally, if you have a request for a future garden topic or a specific question, please let us know. So RSVP online, bring your favorite holiday treats to share and join us next week. All are welcome to join for free if they are not already a member. See you on the 7th!

Also currently we are looking for a few talented LGC members who have experience speaking to community groups about plants and other garden topics. If you have experience and are interested in becoming a certified Lakeway Garden Club speaker volunteer, please let us know.

December Garden Tips

Flowers to Plant

Alyssum (Sweet), Calendula, Centaurea, Johnny Jump Up, Larkspur, Pansies

Things to Sow or Transplant

Arugula
Asian Greens
Asparagus
Beets
Broccoli
Brussel Sprouts
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Swiss Chard
Collards
Fava Beans
Fennel
Greens, Cool Season
Kale
Kohlrabi
Leeks
Lettuce, Head or Leaf
Mustard
Bulbing Onions, Seed
Multiplying Onions
Peas, English/Snap/Snow
Radishes
Spinach
Strawberries
Turnip

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 2024 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.)

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.

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.

Look out for plum curculio

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

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.

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.

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