Jobs around the garden in December
Alongside the wind and rain that we get here in the UK, December also brings more regular frosty conditions. If you have a greenhouse it's a good idea to check the insulation and get the last of your tender plants inside, if you are planning to keep it warm check the heater is working too. On a bright sunny days it may also be worth opening the door or a vent to allow damp air to evaporate.
December is an ideal time for pruning many things, when the leaves have fallen it’s also much easier to see the shape and outline of the trees and shrubs that you are wanting to create and any dead or diseased branches that need to be removed. Wisteria and vines can also be pruned to promote flowers early next year.
Now that the garden is dormant it’s also a good time to move anything that would perhaps look better or perform better in a different place. Plant out new bare root material when it becomes available in the garden centres.
If you want to have a go at taking hardwood cuttings December is a perfect time to do so. If you have never taken hardwood cuttings before there are a few handy tips you can follow to make sure they have the best chance of developing roots and providing you with new trees and shrubs.
One way of growing on cuttings is by plunging them directly into the ground in a prepared trench containing grit sand or perlite mixed with soil. If you are only taking a small amount of cuttings then they can be planted into pots and left outside. Some protection from frost by using a cold frame, cloche or protective fleece may be necessary for more tender species..
When choosing suitable plant material be sure to pick the new healthy shoots from the current year's growth.
Original drawing by Emma Hudson
Harvest the cuttings material using a pruning knife or secateurs that are both sharp and clean to reduce the risk of infection and damage.
Depending on the plant variety, take cuttings of between 6 and 12 inches long, the top cut should be above a bud using a sloping cut to repel water and deter rot.
At the base, cut below a bud, you can also use a hormone rooting compound at this stage should you want to. If it's your intention to take lots of cuttings and space is tight, Dogwood and Willow can be put into bundles of 10-15, tied with garden twine and plunged together to save space
Plant them with 60% of the cutting beneath the soil then leave them undisturbed until next Spring. Once they are in leaf and growing strongly lift a small section to see if they are ready to pot on or plant out
Lawns
Winter can be very harsh on lawns and it is best to try and stay off them as much as you can especially during frost. If the lawn has become waterlogged it may be due to compaction or poor drainage. In small areas you can use a garden fork to make holes in the soil to a depth of at 10-15cm, then top dress with sharp sand. This will help get air into the soil, aid drainage and hopefully leave less standing water in your garden. The grass will also be able to take oxygen from the soil more freely, encouraging healthy growth.
That's all for this year, thanks for reading. we will be back in 2024
Happy Christmas everyone!
