Gardening Tips for December
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TREE AND SHRUB PLANTING TECHNIQUES
People tend to think that plants can take care of themselves. They don't bother to follow through on some of the critical planting strategies, or they may be so afraid what they have done will never be enough that it is easy for them to simply kill their plants with the "over-care syndrome." After selecting the recommended plants adaptive to your area, buying good quality plants free from insects, diseases and other problems, why would anyone not take the time to properly plant the landscape according to a landscape plan which should specify how to plant the trees and shrubs correctly? This huge investment in time and money can pay off big dividends whenever you sell your house.
Before planting, first have in mind where the plant is to be located and know the purpose of the plant. Often this will determine how the plant should be planted. Consider the ultimate size and growth rate, shape, color, form and texture of the plants to be planted.
A modern trend in landscaping is to plant shrubs in large beds. It is best to prepare the entire bed by incorporating any soil amendments such as lime, organic matter or fertilizers as recommended from a soil test by tilling the amendments into the soil thoroughly. Once the bed is prepared, the plants can be placed into the bed and planted once their final location has been determined.
To plant the material, knock the plants out of their containers, cut on four sides of the root ball and loosen the roots so they can grow outward instead of continuing in a circular fashion. Never plant too deep. The first roots of the plant should be just below the surface of the soil. Plants deeper than 4" usually will die from root rot or suffocation.
Have wide planting holes dug to receive the plant's root ball instead of narrow and deep planting holes. Water the plants as they are being planted. Usually it is best to set the plant, fill with half of the backfill, water in to settle fill and remove air pockets, fill the rest of the way, then water again.
Remember, mixing of the soil amendments is very important. It is better to have a unified blend of backfill. Throwing a shovel full of organic matter or dumping fertilizers into the planting hole in this fashion does more harm than good.
“It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas”
Holiday plant care is very important now if you want to preserve the beauty of poinsettias and other Christmas plants. Remember, they are actively growing plants unlike many of your other house plants that have been brought in to rest after their peak growing season. Keep them watered (moist to touch) and provide them with enough light to continue their growth. Avoid cold or hot air drafts.
Christmas trees can be used as landscape trees after Christmas if they are properly cared for while in the home during the holidays. Too much or too little water are common problems associated with "Christmas Tree Shortlife." Also, keeping the area near the tree too hot will cause the needles to dry out and fall off. Try having the decorated tree in the house for a minimum time and plant as soon after Christmas as possible.
December Gardening Chores
Landscape plantings still can be made at this time of the year. The one major consideration at this time of year is the soil condition. Wet soils, especially wet, clay soils, are rather unforgiving. Find something else to do until it dries out. If you have purchased plants and are waiting for the soil to dry, be sure the plants don't dry out in the meantime. Keep them watered and consider winter protection if necessary. Keeping them in a barn or garage for a few days to protect the root ball from freezing should be considered.
o Draw up a landscape design that can be installed in the spring while the winter takes you away from outdoor activities.
o Order supplies for the coming spring gardening plans.
o Repair, maintain and store equipment needed for the coming season. Now is a good time to shop around and bargain for some good prices on equipment you will need later.
o When the weather is bad bring out your notes from gardening last year and devise strategies to overcome problems you faced last year.
o Don't have notes? Try to summarize your garden's performance and make yourself a promise to keep detailed notes of plant performances for the coming year. Sit down at a computer and enter your notes for fast retrieval for next year.
o Enroll in classes! Read and study up on ideas you would like to achieve for next year. Don't forget to include your New Year's Gardening Resolutions...Thou Shalt Not...
o Tip pruning can be done this month. Many evergreens are used in various Christmas decorations. Both the foliage and the berries of many favorites including the holly species, nandina, pines and cedars are popular for decorating the house. Remember not to make heavy "renovative" type pruning cuts until late winter.
o Continue to plant spring flowering bulbs.
o Think water garden and have it ready for spring. There are numerous sources of information and construction materials for these type projects. Garden centers and mass merchandising garden stores are handling pool liners, pumps and aquatic plants.
o Give gardening tools and subscriptions to landscaping magazines as gifts.
o Order fruit trees adapted to your area now and designate shipping dates that avoid hard frozen ground problems when planting. Order now, plant later philosophy.
o Continue mulching and composting chores. Your plants will love the added benefits and mulching landscape plants now may help them survive the winter. Along with the mulching, you will need to watch out for animal damage to the trunk base. Voles love to feed on the bark of plants and may become a pest in the winter.
o The dead tops of many perennials can be removed. Frost has killed back the top growth of most of our favorite perennials. This includes Mexican Bush Sage, Pineapple Sage, Cannas, Coneflower, Rudbeckia, Peonies, and Veronica.
o The tops of others are still green, and they don't need to be completely trimmed back. These might include Liriope, Daylily, Tansy and Hollyhock. Just a general cleanup of any brown foliage is necessary at this time. Some perennials, although dormant during the winter, offer winter interest. Don't cut the tops back until the early spring cleanup. This list includes Sedum, and the many ornamental grasses we're now growing.
o Apply broadleaf herbicides to control winter annual and perennial weeds. Watch for dry, windy conditions with low relative humidity that can damage turf. It may be necessary to irrigate periodically to help the grass survive.
o Coastal lawns, if not already dormant, will soon be. Continue to mow, rake leaves and water during dry spells.
o Good soil preparation is essential for winter annuals and spring flowering bulbs. Try to till as deep as possible to eliminate any compaction problems, incorporate topsoil, organic matter and lime before planting, and finish with a 2 3 inch layer of mulch.
o Continue planting container grown ornamentals this fall; be sure to loosen the roots and the media before backfilling. For slightly pot bound roots, cut on 3 4 sides, shake the roots and media to a loose condition and then plant.
What kills plants? Answer: Mostly planting too deep, underwatering, overwatering and overfertilizing practices. Sometimes new plantings are sensitive to cold damage in the winter. Extra care may be needed to get the newly establishing plants through a cold winter. Mulches help and so do some of the wraps. Better yet, make sure they are planted in the right location.
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