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DECEMBER

ESSENTIAL JOBS CHECKLIST FOR DECEMBER

• Store terracotta pots in a shed unless you're sure they're frost-resistant
• Line your greenhouse with bubble-wrap for insulation
• Move houseplants off windowsills at night
• Send off for lots of seed and plant catalogues

TOPICAL TIPS FOR DECEMBER

Flower Garden

• If you're feeling energetic get out and do a bit of digging. Start a programme of conditioning and improving your soil. To do this successfully you need first to find out what sort of soil you've got, whether it's acid, neutral or alkaline, whether it's sandy, peaty, stony, loamy or sticky with clay. If you're new to gardening ask your neighbours. Buy a soil testing kit – this will measure the acidity of your soil. Any soil will benefit from having organic matter added so while you're digging add plenty OF Westland ’ s Farm Manure.
• As long as the weather remains dry you can continue planting evergreens
• Clear up any fallen leaves and cut back perennials if you haven't already done so curl up in front of the fire with lots of colourful catalogues to give you lots of ideas for next year

Lawn

• Clean your lawn mower. When spring comes you'll be glad you did
• Never allow leaves to build up on lawns as they will cause disease

In the Greenhouse

• Save energy and keep your greenhouse warm by lining it with bubble pack
• Potted azaleas need to be watered with rainwater. Feed them weekly with Liquid Ericaceous Feed and stand them on damp gravel. When they form buds you can take them into the house if your prefer but continue to treat them in the same way. They do prefer to be kept on the cool side.
• You may think pests are dead or hibernating but unfortunately whitefly and greenfly find greenhouse very congenial all the year round. Be on the lookout for them and spray as necessary

Containers

• Trees and shrubs can be planted in containers in fine weather. For permanent plantings like these choose J Arthur Bower's John Innes No. 3.

Vegetable Garden

• Clear away the remains of old crops and put them on your compost heap. Remember to add biological compost maker every 15 cm (6 inches)

Herb Garden

• Protect bay in very cold weather or if it's in a container move it to a sheltered spot

Fruit Garden

• Take hardwood cuttings of currants and gooseberries. The cuttings should be about 25-30 cm (10-12 inches) long and should be buried in a trench in the open ground to about half their length

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