Garden Calendar - December

December comes with the spirit of approaching Christmas. Advent time calls for decorating your own garden with some lighting. Whether you decide just for a discreetly decorated tree, decorate a fruit tree, or go for Christmas decorations in a grand style depends only on your taste. If you consider the garden's architecture when decorating, you certainly won't go wrong. However, decorations will only be an ornament in a well-maintained garden. If you haven't managed to finish something in the garden yet, use the last days before the snow arrives. However, it will be more pleasant to enjoy the pre-Christmas atmosphere with family and friends.

What seeds to sow in December?

December is not a particularly suitable month for sowing because the days are very short and there is usually little sunshine. One of the plants that can be sown as early as December is geranium (lat. pelargonium zonale). Pelargoniums are sown in small bowls. The sown seeds are covered with a thin layer of soil, gently pressed down and watered. After sowing, it is necessary to keep the sowing substrate constantly moist. Sow pelargoniums in permeable, nutrient-rich soil, ideally directly in substrate designed for growing pelargoniums. You can also find it in our e-shop offer. The impatient can start pre-cultivation in December with greenhouse cucumber variety Tolstoj F1 and staking tomatoes intended for greenhouse cultivation. Among ornamental plants, it is possible to sow, for example, snapdragon seeds. Of course, year-round cultivation of cress and other herbs is a matter of course.

What garden work not to forget in December?

Garden work in December depends on the weather. If the weather is nice, it is possible to complete the last preparations before "real winter" arrives. Once the garden is covered with a white blanket of snow, it will be too late. Due to the approaching Christmas, there is usually not much time to spare in December, yet if it hasn't snowed yet and it's not freezing, find a moment to occasionally water overwintering plants. Rhododendrons and azaleas suffer the most from drought. In the opposite weather development - after snowfall, shake off the snow from more fragile trees before it becomes heavy and breaks them. On frosty days, break the ice in the garden pond if you have it deep enough and left fish in it. Handymen can avoid the pre-Christmas cleaning frenzy by shutting themselves in the workshop and repairing tools.

Winter is a period of theoretical preparations and tool repairs, for which there was no time during the season.

Fighting diseases and pests is necessary all year round - what to do in December?

In December, it's important to regularly check overwintering plants for pest infestations. Don't forget to inspect tubers and bulbs of ornamental flowers stored in the cellar. In the garden, collect fallen fruit that you left on the trees in autumn. Mold-infected fruits could carry disease spores.

Take care of ornamental plants in December too.

Taking care of ornamental plants in December may not seem easy at first glance, as almost nothing is in bloom. However, if you still want to brighten up your garden, you have a unique opportunity to decorate it with Christmas ornaments. Often more beautiful than lavish decorations like in Las Vegas is a subtly decorated conifer. December marks the beginning of theoretical preparation - dive into studying magazines and books. Even in winter, you can visit online shops and choose from a wide range of ornamental plant seeds. For a passionate gardener, a seed collection complemented perhaps with a mini greenhouse for more convenient sowing can be a suitable gift under the Christmas tree.

What to do with indoor plants during December?

Indoor plants have been in winter mode for some time now. Water them very carefully, and they need almost no fertilizing in winter. Supporting growth with fertilizer would lead to unsightly stretching of plants due to lack of light. Indoor plants have no other special requirements during December.

Even cacti and succulents follow a calendar - what benefits them in December?

Cacti and succulents benefit from winter dormancy in December, perhaps with the exception of the so-called Christmas cactus (lat. Schlumbergera), which should be in full bloom right now. Blooming in December is not automatic even for Christmas cactus - several growing principles must be followed for the cactus to bloom on time. Christmas cactus doesn't like direct sunlight, so grow it in partial shade; a north or west-facing window suits it well indoors. Christmas cactus is watered only after the substrate has completely dried out - during the growing season this is approximately once a week, during dormancy watering once every 2 to 3 weeks is more than sufficient. Christmas cactus will ask for water itself - wilting leaves are a signal for the next watering. A very important moment in the Christmas cactus's life is the dormant period, on which flowering depends. The "pre-Christmas" dormant period begins approximately in mid-September and lasts until November. During this time, place the plant in a cooler location, ideally with a temperature around 15-18°C. Reduce watering to a minimum and provide moisture to the plant through regular misting. During November, the Christmas cactus should start setting its first buds. Now you can move the Christmas cactus to a warmer room with sufficient humidity and begin watering. Christmas cactus likes its peace, so don't handle it too much during flowering - it might react by dropping buds. You can't go wrong with regular misting and watering of the flowering plant either. A richly blooming Christmas cactus should be the decoration of your Christmas. After flowering, move the Christmas cactus back to a cooler location and reduce watering. After the last frosts have passed, Christmas cacti benefit from spending summer outdoors, preferably under a tree or shrub. In their summer location, you can fertilize and water the plants regularly without problems.

What else is good to know in December?

If you've decided on a live Christmas tree in a pot this year, don't forget to acclimatize it to increased temperature gradually. First move it to a cool hallway and only then into the living space. To avoid damaging the tree, try to place it in a room with the lowest possible temperature and keep it indoors for as short a time as possible. After Christmas, acclimatize the tree gradually again. Don't move it from the room straight into hard frost. Don't forget to water the tree thoroughly either.

Merry Christmas and lots of growing success in the new year!!!