December

Knowing what grows well in the garden is really important. But with 12 months a year, remembering what, when and where can be tricky. That’s why we’ve put together this seasonal calendar. So you can check what you could be doing this month, and what you should be planting later in the year.

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Things to do

Now is the time to sort out your veg garden. Clear away the remains of any old crops and have a general tidy up for winter. Also dig in some well-rotted organic matter to put some goodness back into the soil.

: Vegetable garden
Time for winter preparation. Clear away the remains of old crops to tidy up the garden and prepare the area for next year. Add the material you gather to your compost heap. Spread a layer of compost over the cleared soil and fork it into the surface.

: Bedding Plants
Plant pots of Cyclamen in several shades of red or pink to create a bright, beautiful festive display.

: Bulbs
Plant bulbs in pots for a spring bloom and brighten up the last few days of winter.

: Climbing plants
Cut back summer-flowering Clematis to a pair of strong buds to be sure of good growth in the summer.
On grapevines prune side shoots and cut back developing main stems by half their new growth to maintain a good shape.

: Containers
Line wire baskets and fill them with bulbs for spring flowering.
Insulate your pots with bubble wrap.
Move any tender plants into a sheltered place, like a porch or greenhouse to help get them through the worst of the winter weather.

: Fruit
Protect your fruit trees from winter moth grubs by applying a grease band to your trees now to stop an infestation next year.

Prune out dead or diseased gooseberry stems, and any crossing in the centre. Shorten new growth by half to maintain an acceptable size.

Freestanding fruit trees should be pruned now. Remove dead, dying and diseased branches, as well as branches that are crossing over each other.

: Hedges
Continue to plant bare-root deciduous (seasonal leaf) hedging plants and trees.

: Houseplants
Try using Poinsettia inside for a festive feel (they’re available in Homebase stores).

: Perennials (winter surviving plants)
Add Hellebores to your shadier borders for beautiful winter flowers between January and late March (you can buy them from Homebase stores in mid November).

Be on the lookout for any pests on plants over winter. Small infestations of Whitefly, Red Spider Mite and Greenfly can soon spread, storing up more problems for the future. Control pests now by picking them off leaves, spraying or disposing of infected plants.

: Roses
Cut back tall stems on bush roses by half to help guard against wind damage, and shorten all the branches on standard roses.

Plant bare root plants as long as it's not frosty.

: Shrubs
Re-firm the soil around cuttings if the ground has been lifted by frost.

Continue to take shrub cuttings (good ones to take are Forsythia and Buddleia).

If a shrub has outgrown its space in the border, there's still time to move it to a better location while it's dormant.

: Trees
Young trees may need pruning at this time of year to ensure they maintain shape and size.

Remove any weeds from around the bases of young trees, as they compete with the plant for moisture and nutrients.