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South Downs Nurseries
Brighton Road
Hassocks
West Sussex
BN6 9LY
T 01273 845232
F 01273 847700

December

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July   August   September   October   November   December

December is a wet, cold and dark month. It is not normally the coldest month of the year and cold spells tend to be short lived.

• Flowers and bedding.
  Change your containers so that they have a more seasonal theme. Dark greens, reds, white and berries of all sorts look good. Remove fallen leaves from alpines and sow alpine seeds. Pinch out the tips of sweet pea seedlings.

• Perennials.
  Finish ground preparation for new beds.

• Shrubs and climbers.
  It is still ok to plant if the weather is favourable. Now is a good time to plant winter interest shrubs if your garden is looking a little dull. There are some very attractive winter flowering, scented plants.

• Trees and hedges.
  Protect conifers from snow and wind by gently tying branches together with sacking or old pairs of tights. It is still a suitable time to plant deciduous hedging.

• Roses.
  Finish planting new roses if the weather is good. Make sure all old leaves are collected and disposed of.

• Lawn.
  Keep off the lawn when it is wet or covered it frost or snow.

• Vegetables.
  Not much to do this month but plan for next year.

• Fruit.
  Spray fruit trees and bushes with winter wash. It is also possible to use this on roses if you suspect that there are insects overwintering on them. Continue pruning.

• Pond.
  If necessary melt the ice with a hot kettle or saucepan placed on the ice. Try to keep a hole in the ice open.

• Greenhouse.
  Not too much heat while light levels are very low. It will encourage weak, spindly growth. Try to find out the minimum temperature that your plants need and stick to that until the days lengthen noticeably.

• Indoors.
  Tidy up your plants to look nice for Christmas visitors. Flowering  bulbs can be planted outside once they are past their best. Remember, if you are buying indoor plants as presents or for yourself, that they should spend as little time outdoors as possible, and if they have to go out wrap them up well like a sickly child.