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Gardening Tips for December

Posted: Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Houseplants • Don't fertilize houseplants this month since they will grow so little

Poinsettias • Keep poinsettias well-watered and away from heat sources, such as ranges and fireplaces. They'll droop at the drop of a hat

Christmas Trees • After the holidays, you can recycle your Christmas tree by cutting off the branches and laying them around the base of roses and other less cold-tolerant plants. Or tuck boughs of the branches in window boxes and pots for outdoor decoration until spring

Outdoors

• Rake leaves from the lawn to keep it from being too shaded during wet weather.

• Use dolomite lime on the lawn every two or three years to make the soil less acid and discourage moss.

• Avoid walking on the lawn if it's frozen or the soil is very wet.

• In moderation, add the wood ash from your fireplace to your compost heap.

• Use calcium chloride instead of sodium chloride on your walks. It does less damage to plants. Or, better yet, use sand, which doesn't hurt your plants a bit.

• If you have fish in an ornamental pond, be sure to keep the water level up. Water blocks a large percentage of UVA rays, slowing damage to pond liners.

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