Thursday 4 December 2014

December gardening list

Posted by Rosie

Given that the weather has taken a bit more of a wintry turn this week with temperatures dropping and a chilly north westerly wind blowing, the idea of heading out to the garden has been rather unappealing.  For that reason I need a list of December jobs to inspire me to get the jobs done.  This includes jobs that really need doing as soon as possible as well as those that help me keep organised and ready for next year's plantings.  I'll revisit this list and mark things off as I do them.  Hopefully by putting my December Gardening List in the public domain I may actually feel inspired get most of it done! 

 

General stuff

  • Find my penknife- although I fear it may be buried in the compost heap (It was down the back of my in tray!)
  • Check stored potatoes for any signs of blight
  • Freeze parsley
  • Check through seeds
  • Remind farmer he said he'd bring me a trailer load of manure


Polytunnel 

  • Tidy up the polytunnel - weed and generally give it a good sort out - it needs it! Started
  • Manure the polytunnel beds - 3/4 done
  • Put the pot of Rosemary in the polytunnel and give it a root trim
  • Put the baby citrus tree in the house
  • Bring the pumpkins into the house.  Last year I struggled to keep the pumpkins through the winter as they rotted in the mild, wet weather.  In previous years they have got frosted as none of our sheds are totally frost free.  So after seeing a picture on Pinterest of an attic store I decided to do the same:
Pumpkins in the attic

  • Possibly sow broad beans and mange tout in polytunnel- I need to check if this is feasible now or I am better off waiting until early spring. Yes I can sow them now. And then the mice stole all the seeds
  • Plant overwintering onions and garlic - it's getting a bit late for onions but as they are going in the polytunnel I figure they'll be OK - mind you this does depend on them not being all sold out! Bought after a bit of a search.
  • Keep picking Oriental Greens - ongoing

 

Outside

  • Harvest beetroot - it won't survive hard frosts and it's just the weather for bowl of steaming borscht.  These beetroot were harvested in October but there are a few more I need to get out of the ground soon:

Beetroot

  • Keep picking kale, cabbage, parsnips, leeks, lamb's lettuce and brussels - they should all be fine outside - ongoing
  • Cut back dahlias and gladioli, cover with straw mulch and hope they can survive any freezing weather we may get.  Any I have tried and store in a shed have always got frosted and died yet when I have previously left them in the ground (un-mulched) a few have survived so I am purposely not digging them up this year!
  • Manure more of the empty beds and cover with landscape fabric - started
  • Tie in climbing fruit, removing dead branches
  • Weed through the fruit fruit patch - this year I WILL get those nettles out!
  • Buy bulbs and plant them if I find any on offer!  It's getting a bit late for bulbs (with the exception of tulips but if anyone is selling some off dirt cheap I may well take my luck and throw some in). Never found any
  • Start to prepare a bean trench.
  • Keep weeding the strawberry patch
  • Cut back over-hanging brambles - I am hoping if I tie them in a bundle Maddie the Goat may nibble at them.

This may well not be all the things I have to do this month so I'll add to it as I go along and cross things off (turn them red) when done.  Hopefully by the end of the month there will be lots of red and not much green.  We'll have to see!

Have you got December gardening jobs you need to get on with or can you think of anything I've forgotten?

For more December gardening posts Annie's How Does Your Garden Grow linky is where you need to be:

Simple Wanderlust

12 comments :

  1. I need to move my pots and bubble wrap the ones that I can't move - I really must do it but it's so damp and dreary it'll take some effort to actually step out the back door! Looking forward to seeing all the red :)

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    1. With luck this public list will make me get things done. have you dome that bubble wrapping yet? I'm glad I moved the citrus tree as it looks like we had a frost last night.

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    2. It's definitely on the list for today as the frosts are looking more likely. Good work with the citrus tree and hope you find your gloves!

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  2. Great list, I wouldn't know where start with making a list for our garden at the moment, just keeping it all vaguely under control will have to do for now :) #HDYGG

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    1. I should come over and offer a consultancy service!

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  3. What an immense to do list, I feel totally ashamed of the 2 packs of Spring Bulbs I haven't got round to planting yet! I am a gardening fraud!

    I admire your organisation skillz Rosie, I need you day to day to get me through life in a more organised manner - leave France and come and live under my stairs (a la Harry Potter)

    A tempting offer, oui?

    Thanks for joining in again pickle - bowing down before you in awe x

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    1. Ah - but there is a huge difference between writing an list and actually getting things crossed off it, which I could not do if I was residing under your stairs ... however inviting that invitation appears! Come the end of December if this list is not red you will not be bowing down in awe before me!

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  4. Wow that is a long list! I can't get over all of your pumpkins and squashes :-) x #HDYGG

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    1. It's a scarily long list and some of the jobs are quite big although others are quick and some are ongoing. Just off to turn a couple of things red right now!! (and so glad I got the pumpkins in - we had a sharp frost last night)

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  5. i love reading what you get up to, as soon as my kids give me a breath i will be doing all those things you get up to. Is it very cold where you are now we have -4 here atm but i bet you have colder.

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    1. Brrrrr - you are colder than us! We do get cold here athough generally after New year - this Autumn was amazingly mild and it's only now that December is here that we have just dipped below freezing. Best add "Find Gloves" onto this list!

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  6. my goodness! you have such a long list! i'm afraid I just go into hibernation this time of year. I just can't stand the cold!

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