In the northern states, the soil will have gotten frozen by some point in December. If you have not yet done preventive action against this, you should bear the cost of winter assurance to any plants that you think need it: You may not get one more opportunity once a thick layer of snow structures.
It is an alternate issue in the South, where December carries some warmth to plants and gardeners the same. Exploit this heat by growing plants that you can’t develop for the greater part of the year and by attempting gardening tasks requiring hard work.
Here are gardening tasks to do in December, according to your region, to pass winter in your garden the right way.
All Regions
You are toward the finish of another year in your garden. It’s an amazing opportunity to explore your garden to find out which parts of it you like the most and which perspectives you don’t like so much. You may want to make changes for the next planting year that give you more of the previous one and less of the last one mentioned. Ideally, you’ve taken photos of your garden and recorded your thoughts on it in a journal all year round, so the review cycle doesn’t depend exclusively on memory.
In the case that you have been storing bulbs, tubers, or corms, check them to ensure that they are damaged.
Mid-Atlantic
December can be somewhat balmy in the mid-Atlantic, allowing you an extended fall season in your garden. However, even in these years when the month of December is not mild, there is plenty to do.
- Buy a snowblower and get ready for the worst of winter that is coming soon.
- Finish mulching your plant to protect them from the coming cold season.
- Keep watering newly planted plants until the soil freezes.
- In the event that you embellish for Christmas, start your outdoor Christmas improvements by the beginning of the month.
- Install a shelter over any plant you have decided as being in need of protection from snowfalls.
Midwest
December can be a very cold month in the states of the Midwest. Supervising and maintenance are your principal weapons to protect your plants during frigid winters.
- Check your plants for bark damage. If you do find one, you probably have an issue with rabbits or deer presence and need to respond.
- Clear your garden pathways after snowfalls to facilitate access to your entire space, remove fallen limbs, and easily check your trees and shrubs for damage.
- Spray the foliage of shrubs with an anti-desiccant to prevent your plants from drying out.
- Remove snow from your shrubs to avoid breaking branches.
- Investigate the windbreak wall for harm. Fix any damage quickly.
Northeast
Sometimes, winter comes a bit late in Northeast states allowing you more time to prepare your garden to welcome the cold season. But not every year.
- Check your plants for bark damage. If you do find one, you probably have an issue with rabbits or deer presence and need to respond.
- Spray the foliage of shrubs with an anti-desiccant to prevent your plants from drying out.
- If you live anywhere by the ocean, this is an opportunity to evaluate how well your plants are holding up to the salt spray and consider replacing those having troubles with salt-tolerant plants next season.
- To get rid of ice, use sand instead of salt; salt can kill your plants.
- Gather your gardening tools and store them safely, making sure that they are clean, well sharpened, and oiled.
- Make sure your compost is covered and protected from falls.
Pacific Northwest
In the states of the Pacific Northwest, the ground is likely to be moist in December. The weather is warm enough to be able to work in your garden comfortably.
- Plant spring-blooming bulbs.
- Plant trees and shrubs.
- You can remove weeds from your garden which comes easier with the wet soil.
Pacific Coast
December is wet and cold in North California while it’s warmer and drier in South California.
Southern California gardeners should:
- Cut back decorative grasses to make space for new development.
- Plant bare-root rose bushes and stop pruning the old ones to let them harden off for the cold season.
- Grow cold-weather vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, and Swiss chard.
Northern California gardeners should:
- Fertilize winter-blooming shrubs.
- Inspect snails on their plants.
- Be ready for the sudden frosts of December. And be prepared to install raw covers over their tender plants in measure to protect them from the frost.
Southwest
The South west’s climate in December is irregular. In case if you live in a high region, you must be ready for any weather. Yet, the low desert weather is more suitable for gardeners (as long as you have a reliable water supply).
Southeast
In December, Northerners would envy gardeners in the Southeast for their climate. But it’s not always easy in the Southeast; gardeners still have preventative measures to take during the cold season when the temperature could drop sharply.
- Add compost to the garden soil.
- When the temperature drops, lay raw covers over your tender plants.
- Plant shrubs and trees to improve your garden landscape.
- Prune shrubs and roses.
Hawaii
December comes with moisture and relatively cold weather. Gardeners in Hawaii can benefit from this weather by improving their soil and planting cool-season plants.
- Put some compost in the soil.
- Grow cold-weather vegetables such as spinach, carrots, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, and Swiss chard.
- If you live in the low desert you can plant some winter crops like spinach, carrots, broccoli, kale, lettuce, radishes, and Swiss chard.
- Be prepared to lay row covers to protect tender plants when needed.
