December is a busy month in the garden as the weather warms up and plants thrive. Here’s a comprehensive checklist to help you stay on top of your gardening tasks and ensure your garden flourishes throughout the summer season.
General Garden Maintenance
- Watering: Ensure all plants receive adequate water, especially during hot, dry periods. Water early in the morning or late in the evening to reduce evaporation. Mulch around plants to retain moisture and keep roots cool.
- Weeding: Keep on top of weeds to prevent them from competing with your plants for nutrients and water. Pull weeds regularly and mulch to suppress new growth.
- Mulching: Apply mulch around plants to conserve moisture, suppress weeds, and improve soil health. Use organic materials like straw, wood chips, or compost.
- Pest and Disease Control: Monitor plants for signs of pests and diseases. Use organic methods like neem oil, insecticidal soap, or companion planting to manage pests. Remove and dispose of diseased plant material.
Vegetable Garden
- Planting: Continue planting summer vegetables like tomatoes, cucumbers, beans, capsicums, and zucchinis. Sow successive crops of lettuce, radishes, and carrots for a continuous harvest.
- Feeding: Fertilize vegetable plants with a balanced fertilizer or compost tea to promote healthy growth and fruit production.
- Staking and Supporting: Stake or support tall-growing plants like tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers to keep them upright and improve air circulation.
- Harvesting: Regularly harvest ripe vegetables to encourage further production and prevent overripe produce from attracting pests.
Fruit Garden
- Thinning: Thin out overcrowded fruit on trees like apples, pears, and stone fruits to improve air circulation and reduce the risk of disease.
- Watering: Ensure fruit trees receive deep, regular watering, especially during dry spells. Mulch around the base to retain moisture.
- Netting: Protect ripening fruit from birds and other pests by covering trees with netting.
- Feeding: Apply a balanced fertilizer to fruit trees and bushes to support fruit development and overall health.
Flower Garden
- Deadheading: Remove spent flowers from annuals and perennials to encourage further blooming and maintain a tidy appearance.
- Planting: Continue planting summer annuals like petunias, marigolds, and zinnias. Sow seeds for biennials and perennials like hollyhocks and delphiniums for blooms next year.
- Pruning: Prune spring-flowering shrubs like lilacs and azaleas after they finish blooming to shape them and encourage new growth.
- Watering: Keep flower beds well-watered, especially during dry spells. Mulch to conserve moisture and reduce weed growth.
Lawn Care
- Mowing: Regularly mow the lawn, keeping the grass at a height of about 5-7 cm to promote healthy growth and reduce stress during hot weather.
- Watering: Water the lawn deeply and infrequently to encourage deep root growth. Water early in the morning to minimize evaporation.
- Fertilizing: Apply a slow-release lawn fertilizer to support healthy growth and maintain a lush, green lawn.
- Weeding: Remove weeds manually or use a selective herbicide to keep the lawn looking its best.
Container Gardening
- Watering: Check containers daily and water as needed, as they can dry out quickly in warm weather.
- Feeding: Fertilize container plants regularly with a liquid fertilizer to support healthy growth and flowering.
- Re-potting: If container plants are root-bound, re-pot them into larger containers with fresh potting mix.
- Positioning: Move containers to protect them from the hottest part of the day or provide shade as needed.
Conclusion
By staying on top of these gardening tasks in December, you can ensure a healthy, productive, and beautiful garden throughout the summer season. Enjoy the fruits of your labor and the beauty of your flourishing garden. Happy gardening!
