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December Gardening Tips

Plant

Plant bare root roses, trees and vines. Julia Child, Rainbow Sorbet, Tahitian Sunset, and Wild Blue Yonder are the 2006 All-American Rose Selections.
Plant tulip, crocus and hyacinth bulbs that have been in cold storage. Cover with as much as four to six inches of soil in a slight shady spot. Plant winter-color annuals above your spring-summer blooming bulbs for instant and long-lasting color.
Plant globe artichokes, Jerusalem artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, horseradish and rhubarb. Also, cane berries, grapes and strawberries. Do so only when the soil is not waterlogged.
Plant culinary herbs indoors for use in holiday cooking.
Plant trees and shrubs now as soil is still warm enough in most places for good root growth. The winter rains will stimulate root growth for stronger, healthier top growth in spring.
Select and plant azaleas, camellias and rhododendrons. Many camellias are in bloom now, so you can see the flower color.

Feed & Fertilize

Feed shrubs and trees that will bloom in January to March.
Fertilize fall-planted flowers at planting time with a starter fertilizer.
If azalea and gardenia foliage is light or yellowish-green, water with a solution of chelated iron.
Stop fertilizing potted poinsettias and don't resume until they are through flowering.

Prune/Trim/Clean

Prune low-chill raspberries.
Prune evergreens to shape them, lessen chances of wind damage and provide decorations for the holidays. Branches that will hold their shape well indoors include incense cedar, fir, laurel, magnolia, oleander, pine, pittosporum, podocarous and viburnum.
Protect citrus from cold damage by wrapping tree trunks in tree wrap and covering foliage with cloth sheets. Cold soil and dry winds can cause rinds of ripening fruit to develop bleached blotches and leaves to yellow where the sun strikes. Roots are inefficient bringing moisture to these during cold weather so be sure they get water without being waterlogged.
Cut off old flower spikes from your perennials. Dig up and divide clumping perennials. (they need this every few years.)

Miscellaneous

Cover the compost pile loosely with black plastic biofilm to hold in heat and keep rain from leaching out nutrients. Biofilm is made from cornstarch and can be worked into the mulch pile after it has served its purpose.
Minimize irrigation to roses.