December Gardening Chores

December gardening chores? Yes! There’s lots that Edmonton gardeners can do during the winter months to prepare for next spring. It all starts with plan…plan…plan, but you can also get a gardening fix by taking care of those other little things called house plants.

A Gardener’s Journal

If you haven’t a journal yet, perhaps this is the year to ask Santa for one. There are many different types of garden planners and journals out there. You can choose 1-, 5- or 10-year journals. Buy locally at bookstores like Audreys, or look online at Indigo or Amazon. My preference is Lee Valley’s 10 Year Garden Journal. It’s easy to use and you can see what you did over the past 10 years on that exact date each year. It will set you back $60, but if you think about it, that’s only $6 per year!

If this seems a bit much and you’re not sure you would use it enough, then you could just start out with a lined notepad. Just mark the dates, temperature, weather conditions, your observations and what you did on each page.

For those who already use journals, now is the time to grab a hot chocolate, cozy up, and go over the notes that you made during the past seasons. Were you plagued by pests and diseases? Did a certain plant not grow as well as it should? What would help it for this coming season? Maybe it’s a matter of companion planting, or moving that plant into a different area. This is when you can research all the problems you encountered and look for solutions for the coming season.

cold frame in winter

Yes, you can still grow vegetables, albeit in a greenhouse, row cover or poly tunnel. We don’t always get snow until later in December or sometimes not till January. This means we still have vegetables that can grow and be harvested at this time of the year. Deep mulching, heavier fabric row covers, and adding hoop houses within a greenhouse can help insulate crops further and boost heat retention. It’s important to use them before the soil in the greenhouse freezes. I’ve also seen people adding warmth by creating a compost pile inside a greenhouse. As the organic material decomposes, it can boost temperatures slightly. Another way is to place large barrels in your greenhouse to help regulate the inside temperature. Fill them with water and paint them black to maximize heat absorption during the day. They’ll release the stored heat at night, ensuring a more stable temperature for your plants. There are many veg that you can grow indoors under lights, too!

Back when I used to work in a greenhouse, I’d start sowing certain plants in November, so that they’d be big, healthy and ready to sell when spring arrived. December is also a great time to get a jumpstart on some indoor seed starting for seeds that require a lengthy germination or maturation period. Check to see if any seeds purchased for the next season require stratification in order to germinate. The seed packet should indicate if this process is needed. Some common seeds that require stratification include Asclepias, Echinacea, Rudbeckia, and Baptisia. Mimic cold stratification as needed by placing seeds in the refrigerator at 0-6 C for 1-3 months.

December is also a great time to order those seed catalogues as seed companies are starting to publish them ready for the new year.

Fungus Gnat Control in House plants

During the winter, houseplants typically need less water than in the summer due to reduced hours of sunlight. Err on the side of caution and use tepid water instead of cold water. Overly wet soils can lead to increased numbers of fungus gnats that lay eggs in the wet soil. I’ll add Safer’s Sticky Sticks to each of my pots as they’re attracted to the bright yellow colour. We also have a little bowl next to our green bin, we add a little apple cider or red wine vinegar then cover the bowl with plastic wrap and poke some holes in the top. Adding a piece of banana peel or apple makes it extra attractive. Change it out once a week to refresh the vinegar and get rid of the dead flies.

tropical plants

At this time of the year, if you visit garden centres, greenhouses and even some big box stores they’ll be slowly moving out their Christmas items and bringing in more tropical plants. When purchasing houseplants during the winter, be sure to protect the foliage from the cold on the trip home. Place plants in a cardboard box or other protective covering to prevent damage to leaves.

Poinsettias are another big sale at this time, but they are usually wrapped well when sold. Just make sure your vehicle is warm for the ride home. Poinsettias do best with bright, indirect light and night temperatures in the 10-15’s. Keep plants away from drafts, registers, and radiators. Let the soil dry only slightly between thorough waterings. Ensure the water can drain and evaporate; punch holes in the decorative foil if needed. For more information, see our Poinsettias for Christmas article.

On extremely cold nights, move houseplants back from icy windows to prevent chilling injury.

Here’s wishing you a happy holiday from us all at the EHS! Happy gardening