December Gardening Tips

Lawns

Rake up any last remaining leaves and compost. You should have completed your final cut by now. If you haven’t , be sure to cut on a higher setting than usual. Preferably leave the cut to a dry day when there are not frosts.


Borders

Prepare any borders and beds now before the frosts set in and make the earth harder to work with. Lightly fork the bare soil and break up the earth, removing any weeds and dead-wood. Take care not to disturb the roots of any plants.


Planting

Continue planting evergreen shrubs and hedging if the weather remains dry. Make sure to prepare and improve the soil with plenty of compost where you intend to plant.


Christmas Trees

Most garden centres, nurseries and road-side stalls will have new stock of Christmas trees available by now. To ensure you get the best pick of the bunch, get in quick over the next week. It’s a good idea once you’ve made your purchase, to pot it up, water it and leave outside for a couple of days. By doing this, your tree will remain fresher for longer. Make sure when you move your tree indoors that it’s watered daily with approximately 400mm of water per day.


Repairs

Repair any broken fences, trellis or gates. Treat any timber with preservatives or colour available from your nearest building or timber merchants. It would be a good idea to also replace any rotten or broken fence posts prior to any strong winter winds.