User Name
Password
 |
|
       |
New Roses, Compost and Grasshoppers Epazote, Gotu Kola and St. John's Wort Central Texas Fall Planting Guide Gardening for Birds and Butterflies How to grow Apples in Central Texas Problems growing Tomatoes in hot weather Herbs and Late Spring Gardening Tips
What are common Shrub Diseases
|
December Gardening Tips
In the south, this is good time to make new beds if you've been thinking about expanding the garden. Clear out all the old weeds and add compost or leaves to the soil. You can also add a cover crop such as rye grass that will die back in the spring and give you a thick layer of mulch. Otherwise, don't put anything in the new bed except compost until the weeds come up in the spring and you can remove them before adding your new plants and a thick layer of mulch. Think about adding more native plants next spring. They are drought tolerant and will stay alive when you go on vacation. You can prune most shrubs and trees from now until March but don't get carried away. If you have an heirloom plant that's never been pruned, study it for a few weeks to see if the pruning job you imagine is really justified. Spring blooming shrubs like azaleas and spirea should be pruned after they flower in the spring. If you prune now, you will cut off their blooms. Roses should be pruned in mid-February unless they are spring bloomers and then they need to be pruned after the spring bloom.
|
Subscribe to our on-line Newsletter by sending us your E-mail address here.
What are the lastest Landscaping Trends How to Plant Fruit and Nut Trees How to care for Holiday Plants How to care for Mother's Day Gifts
|
|
|
| Feature Articles | Feature Articles | Featured Articles |
| Read all my Articles on E-how.com | Read all my Articles on Gardenguides.com | Read all my Articles on Examiner.com |
 |
 |
 |
| Copyright © 2009. The Big Lump Gardener. All rights reserved. |
| Home | Find an Article | Ask a Gardening Question | Privacy Policy | My Favorites | Blog | Contact Us |
This is a tough time for motivating yourself to get out of the house and work in the garden. However, taking a few hours off to play in the garden is time well spent during the holiday season. It can help relief stress and help you get your thoughts in order. This is a good time to clean out those dead annuals and remove any debris that will allow the bad bugs such as stinkbugs, mealy bugs and various beetles to hide and survive the winter. If you need color in the garden during the winter, you still have time to plant pansies, snapdragons and calendula in the warmer parts of the US. (Zones 9-11.) From now until the end of January it's time to plant trees and shrubs if the ground can be worked so they can get a good start before warmer weather comes back in April and May. 
