TOP GARDENING TIPS FOR DECEMBER

People often overlook December as a month for gardening, however it can be a critical time to prepare for next season. In this article we’ve gathered some of the top tips and tasks you should consider.

CLEAR UP

December is an ideal time to clear and remove decaying leaves and plants. If the weather has been severe you should check for broken branches and prune it back to prevent further damage. Tidy up any accumulated debris, surplus pots, planters, hanging baskets and seed trays. If you have a greenhouse then check it for pests any remove any yellow or diseased leaves. It’s also wise to check your heating is working correctly if you’re keeping frost sensitive plants. If it isn’t icy you should also check that your gutters and pipes aren’t clogged with leaves.

Don’t let ivy take over. No matter how much you try and keep it in under control, ivy always has a way of escaping! It has a habit of smothering other plants and trees, so make sure you keep cutting it back or even consider getting rid of it altogether.

PLAN

Plan next seasons garden – browse through our website and see what Garden Machinery and tools that you might need. If the weather is fine you can plant bare-root hedging in dug-over and healthy soil. Then it’s time to decide which crops and plants you want next year.

In keeping with Christmas, why not have a go at growing your own mistletoe? If you are lucky enough to have an apple, hawthorn, lime or poplar tree, it should be fairly easy to grow mistletoe. Collect berries from a mistletoe plant and rub them into the bark, then stand back and let the mistletoe flourish.

Round off the season by sowing plants for next year, sow summer flowering seeds and vegetable seeds to be harvested next autumn. Kids love growing from seed so get them involved. Peas are a great option as they are quick and are great fun to pick and shell.

PREPARE

Don’t rely on expensive garden compost. It’s a great time of year to create your own.  Keep any plant cuttings and kitchen scraps, mix them together and allow them to rot down ready to be used next spring. Read our recent news article to find out how to make and use your own compost.

It’s critical to service and maintain your equipment at this time of year, especially if you want to be ready for Spring. Book you mower in with us for servicing. We provide servicing, maintenance and repairs for professional and domestic machinery.