December

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Early Winter is December, the days are short, the year’s coming to an end, be guilt free and get those jobs done now before the weather closes in, so never waste a single dry moment. A second hand ski suit makes cold days workable, and put carpet offcut insoles in your wellies for heavenly comfort.

OUTDOORS

Check fences, tree straps, ties and stakes after each gale If you have any spring bulbs still not planted then hurry up or if too late put them in pots undercover Plant out hardy trees and bushes only when soil is still in good condition never if waterlogged or frozen Prune to six buds Wistaria shoots already shortened in summer Do major pruning work to trees and bushes (but not to stone fruits or evergreens) Cut timber for firewood, preferably when moon is waning Cut any hedges not trimmed in summer Make a bonfire of diseased and thorny material, save charcoal for barbecues and ashes for applying in spring Cut the grass only if weather is very mild; collect last fallen leaves with any few clippings and plastic bag them for leaf mould Pee in bags of leaves and they rot much quicker Lime most tough grass swards every other year but not amongst Ericaceous plants or lime haters Put empty hanging baskets over particularly valued soon to be emerging bulbs or herbaceous plant crowns so they won’t be accidentally stood on Place an insulating cap of empty hanging baskets full of dry leaves or fern over the crowns of dormant tenderer plants such as Dahlias Try a Victorian trick to make empty borders seasonally attractive by pushing into the soil clumps of evergreen prunings, preferavly some with cheerful foliage, flowers or berries Clean out gutters and drains now the last leaves have fallen Place or replace an old sock on each downpipe to catch debris washed down by rain Take all remaining hosepipes and plastic watering cans, empty pots etc under cover before hard frosts make them too brittle to move Have a bucket of sharp sand ready to sprinkle on icy and slippery paths and stepping stones to give secure footing Get your appetite back- turn your compost heap, all out onto a sheet, wet it then repack it all well mixed up, and what an apt end to a year

FRUIT-CAGE & ORCHARD

On a bright day use a long cane to knock off mummified or rotten fruits from trees and bushes to stop these over-wintering problems Re-touch or make sticky bands round fruit tree trunks to stop crawling pests such as Winter moth Wrap new cloth or cardboard bands around trunks to trap crawling pests and remove and compost the old ones Do get any leftover pruning done soon, especially of grapevines Take the net off fruitcages as heavy snow may break it or the supports

VEGETABLE PLOT

Dig some carrots, leeks and parsnips, pack in slightly damp sand in a shed in case all is frozen too solid to dig later Or cover carrots, leeks and cabbages left in ground with leaves or shredded paper and a plastic sheet well held down- then you can still get them when the ground is frozen solid Dig parsnips and leave on surface for frost to sweeten them before use Lay nets over brassicas, especially in hard weather, to deter wood pigeons

WILDLIFE & Stock

Float a football or plastic bottle one quarter full in a pool or pond to bob and keep a hole open through ice to let noxious gases escape Don’t forget to regularly wash and refill birdbaths and put food out for them and more often the harder the weather Clean out bird boxes (to remove parasites) and put up some more

ORDER & BUY

Order potato and onion sets, onion and leek, celery and early tomato seeds as soon as possible as these will soon be needed Order evergreens, soft fruit and herbaceous plants for early spring planting No Citrus, these are valuable as they give fresh fruits in winter, so treat yourself and get a Meyers lemon and a tangerine, and maybe a kumquat Want more winter greenhouse fruits then the Strawberry or Cherry Guava, Psidium cattleianum crop well and is treated much as a citrus And the Physalis Cape Gooseberry is another good winter cropper if kept frost free Purchase sand, grit, salt, a stiff brush and shovel and then by sod’s law we should be safe from another hard icy winter Get some variegated evergreens such as holly, Elaegnus, Euonymous etc in pots as seasonal decoration, especially good on windowsills Buy your friends and neighbours a packet of seed (of your favourite flower or vegetable) or those with appropriate names Mistletoe becomes cheaper on Christmas eve, buy then, stand it in water in a cool airy bird proof place so the berries ripen well to stick on your trees in Spring Immediately after xmas all exotic fruits they did not sell will reduce in price- just think of each as a packet of interesting seeds with a free fruit- dates, avocados, pawpaws, custard apples, tamarinds, mangoes et al- all fun to try

UNDER COVER

Go on tidy your shed and get rid of all junk and defunct tools To help dispose of those unwanted unopened seed packets you just can’t let go of; seal them in a glass or plastic container and bury them as a time capsule Process fading stored apples before they go over- apple puree is useful in all sorts of Christmassy dishes Use sweet potatoes and squashes as they do not keep well for long Save tinsel and garish plastic wrappings for bird scarers After parties half empty bottles may not be worth drinking- but are worth putting aside for slug pubs come spring Stop seasonal opportunists; fit good locks to your sheds and garage

GREENHOUSE

Put up extra insulation as coldest days to come though shortest darkest ones are over On a bright day carefully inspect greenhouse plants for mealy bugs, scales, aphids and moulds as these may prosper unnoticed under cover Only use warm water and only water if plants are desperate Know when to water Citrus- feel their fruits, if softening do water them, but be sure they are well drained, and don’t forget- rain water only Sow some mustard and cress seed a week before xmas on damp kitchen roll paper on plates to add fresh greens to those turkey sandwiches Risk a sowing under cloches or in greenhouse border or in pots in warmth of rocket, loose leaf winter hardy lettuces, radish, turnips, Chinese mustard greens, spring onions and pak-choi Plant some super extra early potato sets, each in a huge pot, and keep in a warm light place for a very early, if small, crop Relax, take it easy for a while; note your successes and mishaps of this year, plan to grow more or less accordingly, then enjoy the fruits of your labours, and hope for as much pleasure again next year.