December garden calendar
Winter might be here, but the garden still needs attention. Enjoy it. Credit: Newsday / Ken Spencer
Plants are dormant and the grass is no longer growing, but there's always something to do in the garden -- no matter that it's December.
We gardeners know there are still beds to tidy, pond ice to melt, birds to feed and, yes, even trees to water. Here's a chore for every day of the month to help you stay on track while you're holiday shopping, menu planning and merry making.
1 Incorporate compost and lime to vegetable beds now, and soil will be enriched in time for spring planting.
2 Brush off, rinse, dry and then spray garden tools with a disinfectant before storing for the season.
3 Watch my video for help selecting a healthy Christmas tree at newsday.com/gardening101
4 Store dry seeds in a tightly sealed glass jar or an envelope in a cool, dark place. If you put them in the refrigerator, separate them from fruit.
5 Check arborvitaes and junipers for bagworms. Handpick and destroy.
6 Avoid walking on the lawn when it has a frost or snow cover, or you'll risk damage.
7 Allow yourself some time to flip through the gardening catalogs that undoubtedly are beginning to fill your mailbox.
8 Check poinsettias for white flies or eggs before buying them, or you might find your house infested for the holidays.
9 If deer are a problem, surround rhododendrons, yews, azaleas and other at-risk plants with chicken-wire cages.
10 Group houseplants together and run a humidifier nearby. Keep them off radiators and away from heating vents.
11 Keep a hose handy so you can water newly planted trees during winter dry spells, but be sure to drain it so it doesn't burst.
12 Rinse or wipe dust from houseplant foliage.
13 If you're hanging real mistletoe, be sure pets and children can't reach it or come into contact with fallen leaves or berries; they're poisonous.
14 Cover strawberries with floating row covers.
15 Snip holly branches and redtwig dogwood stems, and gather pine cones for indoor decorating.
16 Happy Hanukkah!
17 Bury the bottom 10 inches of standard roses with soil to protect them from freezing.
18 As long as the ground is frozen, you can apply winter mulch now.
19 Check the Christmas tree and water daily, if necessary. Be sure to keep it away from radiators, and turn off lights before going to bed.
20 Give the compost pile a turn and, yes, keep adding to it all winter long.
21 Winter begins, and the solstice -- the moment when the sun is farthest from the equator -- occurs at 6:03 p.m.
22 Check on stored cannas, caladiums, colocasias, dahlias and gladiolas and mist if dry. Discard any that have shriveled.
23 De-icing salts can wreck walkways, harm pets' paws and poison your plants and lawn. Most "safe" de-icers aren't as effective; stick to kitty litter for traction.
24 Take advantage of off-season and last-minute holiday sales to replace broken or lost garden tools.
25 Merry Christmas!
26 Start lilies indoors now, and they should bloom by Easter.
27 Gently knock snow from evergreens with a broom to prevent buckled branches after (and during, if necessary) each snowfall.
28 Restock bird feeders and remember to provide clean water.
29 Ignore the lawn. You're welcome.
30 Follow me for more tips and gardening news at twitter.com/jessicadamiano and facebook.com/jessicadamiano
31 It's time for resolutions! Review last year's garden and sketch out changes you'd like to make.
