It’s drawing closer and closer to Christmas and all you can think about is the number of presents to be bought and wrapped and how you’re going to fit everyone around the dining table on the big day. However, it’s important not to neglect your garden, even with all of this going on. As the temperatures drop, your garden will need even more care and attention. This guide should help you prioritise what needs doing most in your garden during this festive month.
Protect your Plants
Frost is the biggest culprit when it comes to plant damage at this time of year, so it’s vital that you do all that you can to protect your plants from this garden villain. A very simple way of protecting potted plants and those in containers is by wrapping them in bubble wrap. It will create a layer of insulation around them and prevent the frost from damaging the roots. This task is made easier by the fact that bubble wrap will be in plentiful supply as you’re buying gifts for christmas, especially when ordering them from the internet!
Check your Tools
Whilst you may not be using many of your gardening tools during the winter as the ground is too hard or plants are too fragile, you should check that they are all in good working order. If you do this in enough time, towards the beginning of the month, you may be able to ask for the replacements of the broken ones as christmas presents! If you don’t manage this in enough time, you might be lucky enough to grab some in the post- Christmas sales!
Remove Debris Around Plants
Of course, the cold weather means that you will want to spend as little time as possible outside. However, clearing the debris from around your plants and flowers will be of huge benefit to you. The build-up of waste materials around your plants will only encourage pests to live there, and these will eventually turn to feeding off of your plants.
Take Care of the Vegetable Patch
It’d be a shame for your hard work put into growing these vegetables to go to waste. Make sure you harvest any leeks and cabbages, carrots and parsnips to prevent them rotting in the bad weather. You should be sure to earth up winter brassicas so that they don’t become damaged by the wind, caning the sprouts if they becoming too tall- this will protect them even further from the inevitable winter winds.
Create Winter Decorations
This is one of the few fun December gardening tasks. Cut off shoots, leaves and small branches to decorate your home with for the festive period. You could use these to make a traditional Christmas wreath for your front door, adding holly berries and leaves if you have a holly tree in your garden. Top tip: If you do have a lot of holly berries, be sure to net them so that you have enough left to make your wreath, otherwise the birds will demolish them!
Do you have any more essential gardening tasks for the winter? Let us know in the comments section!
