December
Chill December brings the sleet, Blazing fire, and Christmas treat.
— Sara Coleridge, The Garden Year (1834)
The garden settles into winter
December brings the shortest days of the year and a quieter period in the garden, but there are still useful jobs to tackle.
Protecting vulnerable plants, caring for wildlife and using quieter days to maintain equipment and plan ahead will leave the garden well prepared for the new year.
Check winter protection
Winter weather can quickly dislodge fleece and other protection around tender plants.
Check protected plants regularly, replacing or securing fleece after strong winds or heavy rain and making sure vulnerable growth remains adequately covered.
Prune apple and pear trees
December is a good time to prune apple and pear trees while they are dormant.
Remove appropriate dead, damaged or congested growth and work towards maintaining a healthy, open shape that will support future growth and fruiting.
Check stored produce and plants
Regularly inspect stored bulbs, tubers and harvested vegetables.
Remove anything showing signs of rot or deterioration before problems spread to otherwise healthy stored material.
Plant bare-root trees and hedging
The dormant season remains an excellent time for planting.
Continue planting bare-root trees and hedging whenever the ground is suitable. Avoid planting when soil is frozen or waterlogged.
Protect plants from heavy snow
Snow can become surprisingly heavy when it accumulates on evergreen shrubs and conifers.
After heavy snowfall, gently brush excess snow from branches before its weight causes them to bend or snap.
Look after your equipment
Take advantage of quieter gardening days to clean and maintain tools, pots and equipment.
Cleaning, sharpening and repairing equipment now means everything will be ready when gardening activity increases again in spring.
Plan next year's garden
December is an excellent month for thinking ahead.
Browse seed catalogues, order seeds and create planting plans while the garden is relatively quiet. Consider what worked well this year, what didn't and where you might try something different.
Ventilate the greenhouse
Even during winter, a greenhouse can suffer from excessive moisture.
On suitable mild days, open vents or doors to improve air circulation, helping reduce condensation and the conditions in which fungal diseases can develop.
Help garden birds
Natural food and water can become increasingly difficult for birds to find during winter.
Refill bird feeders regularly and provide fresh water, particularly during freezing weather. Check water frequently when temperatures remain below freezing.
Make use of mild days
December doesn't always mean frost and snow.
When conditions are suitable, tidy borders, remove weeds and prepare beds for the growing season ahead. Avoid working wet or frozen soil, when doing so could damage its structure.
Wildlife to look out for
December gardens may appear quiet, but they continue to support a surprising amount of wildlife.
Look out for familiar robins, blackbirds, blue tits, great tits and wrens visiting gardens in search of food. Winter can also bring seasonal visitors such as redwings and fieldfares, particularly when berries and fallen fruit are available.
Most hedgehogs should now be hibernating. Avoid disturbing compost heaps, log piles, leaf piles and other sheltered places where they may have made a winter nest.
Frogs, toads and newts also spend much of the winter hidden away in sheltered, frost-free places. Take care when moving logs, pots or piles of vegetation.
Even apparently dead stems and seed heads can shelter overwintering insects, while also providing seeds for birds. Leaving some areas untouched until spring can therefore be more beneficial than making the entire garden perfectly tidy.
One last tip
December is a good month to work with the garden rather than against the season.
Protect what needs protecting, help wildlife through difficult weather and use quieter days to prepare for another gardening year.
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