Although December days give us less light for getting out to garden, the weather has been clear and calm. Afternoon shadows lengthen on the grassy lawn while flocks of robins feed on earthworms. Pleasant weather allows us to get out into the garden and play. Here’s what can be done:
GET GROWING: First of all, there is still time this month to plant garlic, so get growing if you have not done so already. Local nurseries still carry a nice supply of cool-season vegetables and herbs. Chard, scallions, spinach, leaf lettuce and Asian greens love cold, coastal winters.
While clear weather has made it dry enough to dig, you can avoid getting dirty by potting up a few vegetables and herbs in containers. Now is the time to prepare and plant beds with cane berries, strawberries, asparagus roots and artichokes.
CLEAN UP: Check landscape trees and shrubs for broken branches. Clear out rain gutters and drain pipes. Trim back ragged summer blooming perennials. Remove spent rose flowers. Clean up around beds, removing weeds, old pots, boards and garden debris. These items offer shelter for slugs, snails, sow bugs and earwigs.
ADD BAIT: Cool, wet weather makes great habitat for slugs, snails, earwigs and sow bugs. Now is a good time to apply organic baits to keep the populations down. Organic slug baits containing Spinosad help control earwigs and sow bugs.
FEED CITRUS: Citrus plants, especially those in containers, should be given a steady feeding all winter long. A light dose of 4-4-4 along with a bit of iron is all it takes to keep plants green and robust. Citrus growing in the ground should be fed fertilizer spikes. Plants growing in a greenhouse should be sprayed monthly with an oil-based organic spray to keep spider mites and scale under control.
COLOR UP: This month and next, local nurseries offer a nice variety of cyclamen. The bright hues of white, pink, red and lavender flowers cheer up patios and porches. Cyclamen even make nice houseplants if grown in bright light and a cool location. They rival poinsettias in color, longevity and cost.
Local nurseries also carry a nice selection of camellias in bud and bloom. Camellias are low-maintenance shrubs that add nice color during the winter months.
Terry Kramer is a trained horticulturist and journalist. She has been writing a garden column for the Times-Standard since 1982. She currently runs a gardening consulting business. Contact her at 707-834-2661 or terrykramer90@gmail.com.
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