Month by month
Garden jobs for December: what to do in the garden
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| This month | This month in December |
December brings the shortest days of the year, with under seven hours of daylight in the far north of Scotland and roughly eight in southern England. Frost, snow and gales are all possible, although many southern and coastal gardens see more rain than snow. The garden is mostly dormant, so this is a month for gentle jobs on fine days, for enjoying winter structure and scent, and for planning. Avoid working on frozen or waterlogged ground, which damages soil structure, and use the dark evenings to browse seed catalogues and sketch out changes for next year.
Flowers and borders
Look out for heavy snow on evergreens such as box, pittosporum and conifers, and knock it off gently with a broom before the weight splits branches. Check that tree ties and stakes are secure after windy weather, and firm in any recently planted shrubs that have been lifted by frost.
Remove the old, tatty leaves of hellebores as the flower buds begin to emerge. This shows off the flowers and helps prevent leaf spot disease. If you haven’t already, cut back collapsed perennials, but leave seed heads and grasses that still look good, as they catch frost beautifully and shelter insects.
Bare-root plants can still be planted whenever the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged. If conditions are poor, heel the plants into a spare patch of soil or a large pot of compost until you can plant them properly. There is still time to plant tulips early in the month if you missed them in November.
Vegetables
Harvest winter crops such as leeks, parsnips, Brussels sprouts, kale and winter cabbages. Lift some parsnips and leeks before a hard freeze and store them in a cool shed, as frozen ground can make them impossible to dig. Spread compost or well-rotted manure over empty beds, or cover them with cardboard or sheeting to keep weeds down. Check stored onions, garlic, potatoes and squash, and remove any that are soft or rotting. Plan your crop rotation and order seeds and seed potatoes for next year.
Fruit
Continue winter pruning apples and pears while they are dormant, and prune redcurrants, whitecurrants and gooseberries by shortening side shoots to one or two buds and thinning out congested centres. Blackcurrants are pruned by removing about a third of the oldest stems at the base. Plant bare-root fruit trees and bushes on mild days. Check grease bands on fruit trees and replace them if they are clogged.
Lawns
Keep off the lawn when it is frosty or waterlogged. Brush away worm casts on dry days, and remove any fallen leaves that have built up. If the lawn has become waterlogged, make a note of where water lies, so you can improve drainage next year.
Wildlife
Garden birds rely heavily on feeders during cold spells. Put out high-energy food such as fat balls, suet and sunflower hearts, and break the ice on bird baths and ponds each morning, or float a ball on the pond surface to help keep a small area clear. Never smash ice on a pond, as the shock can harm fish and frogs. Berries on holly, ivy and cotoneaster are valuable natural food, so leave them on the plants if you can.
Indoors and under cover
Ventilate greenhouses on mild days to prevent mould, and clean out gutters and water butts. Check stored dahlia tubers and bulbs for rot. Water houseplants sparingly, as most are resting, and give them the brightest spot you can. If you’re buying a real Christmas tree, choose one with roots if you’d like to grow it on outdoors, and keep it in a cool room away from radiators.
Plants looking good this month
December can still be surprisingly colourful. The scented flowers of sweet box fill the air on mild days, viburnum tinus and skimmia add flowers and berries, and the stems of red-barked dogwood glow in low sunshine. Camellias of the sasanqua group may still be flowering, and in sheltered spots the first snowdrops might start to push up by the end of the month. Hellebores, particularly the Christmas rose, are coming into bloom too.
Looking back or ahead? See November jobs or move on to January jobs.
From the plant finder
In flower in December
Good time to plant
Due for pruning
Grow your own in December
Plant out
Ready to harvest
Problems to watch for in December
Spotted something else? Diagnose it by symptom.