Shrubs and Trees
Heavy snow can be too much for evergreen branches and cause them to break – brush the snow off with a broom.
Choosing a live Christmas tree this year? Keep it indoors for only a week or two and spray with water mist frequently. The hole dug ahead of time and covered will make planting time easier. Remember to well water the tree at planting, and mulch deeply. More…
Vegetable Garden
Dig a trench in the vegetable garden, fill with kitchen peelings, coffee grounds, old teabags, etc. As long as unfrozen, cover with soil. Easy garden composting, ready for next years plants such as beans and peas.
Flower Bulbs
Forcing bulbs and planning next years garden are the garden activities during this month, although you have to squeeze those in between celebrating during the holidays. Certain plants are widely available this month to brighten your home.
To bloom in time for Christmas, they needed to be started earlier, so buy budding plants for a Christmas display. Not too late for January or February blooms, though, if you plant now.
Most bulbs are spent after being forced and not worth saving or replanting, although you could try it. lift from plant medium, keep in a cool dry place (but not so much that they get dessicated). Plant in fall.
Christmas Plants
An idea to try-
I have a page of Christmas plants listed with their growing requirements. Sometimes Hellebore niger is available as a pot plant, The Christmas Rose. I bought some and then replanted them in the garden in spring.
Check out the Christmas plants page.
Caring for Christmas trees and greens.
Winter Chores:
* Protect Roses, evergreens
* Mulching
* Turn compost
* Late Winter pruning
* Keep salt from plants, if possible
* Keep bird feeders filled
* Check on those stored summer tubers and bulbs
* Snow cover is good for plants, mulch next best.
* Check catalogs for future purchases
* salt from sidewalks and roads harm plants
* protect living Christmas trees from desiccating winds
* keep your bird feeders well-stocked
* trees,and bulbs can be planted as long as the soil is unfrozen
* use branches from cut Christmas trees to shelter garden plants
* check on your stored summer bulbs: dahlias, caladium, etc
Remember to keep your bird feeders filled – they are depending on you.
Frost action ruins clay pottery- are your pots stored? Your birdbath bowl?
There fun things about winter, too, Winter Beauties.
Prune stone fruit trees like cherry and peach, now, or wait until late winter.
