December Weather Statistics
Average
daily high: 52 degrees
Average daily low: 31 degrees
Average rainfall: 3.4 inches
Poinsettia
basics:
- • Provide at least six hours of bright, indirect light – keep them out of direct sunlight
- • Keep them cool – around 70 degrees, if possible
- • Protect them from drafts and temperatures below 50 degrees
- • Water thoroughly when surface of soil feels dry to the touch. To water, remove decorative wrap and allow the water to drain completely before replacing wrap
- • Don’t fertilize when the plant is in bloom
Christmas tree basics:
- • Make a fresh cut of at least half an inch off the bottom just before bringing the tree in
- • Stand the cut tree in plenty of water and keep the water reservoir full
- • Keep living Christmas trees as cool as possible and well-watered while indoors
- • Move the living tree back outdoors as soon as you can and plant it in the ground
- • Plant asparagus crowns between now and March 15. For a quicker crop, buy two-year-old crowns. Choose rust-resistant male varieties such as Jersey Giant or Jersey Gem.
- • Living Christmas trees need to be kept cool and well-watered. As soon as possible, move your tree back outdoors and plant it. Cut trees need special care, too. Before bringing the tree indoors, make a fresh cut of at least half an inch off the bottom. Set the tree in plenty of water and keep the container filled - freshly-cut trees drink more water than you may imagine! Artificial trees require only that you dust them a little if they have been up since last Christmas.
•Are beautiful holiday decorations as close as your own backyard? Evergreen shrubs and trees such as holly and boxwood may be pruned without harm to the plant this time of year and the greenery can really “spruce” things up. Take advantage of grapevines’ running habit by taking cuttings now to coil into decorative wreaths.
•Branch out from your poinsettia routine with kalanchoe, gloxinia, amaryllis or cyclamen. These beauties, like poinsettias, need bright, indirect light and hate wet feet. Keep plants away from cold drafts or excessive heat and water sparingly.
•Overwatering is the biggest cause of premature houseplant death in December. Check your plants carefully to be sure the soil is dry before watering and hold back the fertilizer until spring.
•Keep bird feeders clean and filled with seed and suet. Change the water in birdbaths at least once a week and keep them ice free.
•Begin planting asparagus this month. Choose rust-resistant male varieties such as Jersey Giant or Jersey Gem. Select two-year-old crowns for quick harvest.
•While you’re digging the trench to plant your asparagus, collect soil from your garden and lawn area to submit for soil testing. Call the Alamance County Cooperative Extension Service for instructions on soil testing: (336) 570-6740.
•Take time now to assess your garden successes and near misses in 2008. Even if you had your best garden ever; jot down what went right and make plans for next year. When the garden catalogs begin to roll in the end of this month, you’ll be ready to dream!
•Fertilize pansies and other hardy annuals now and remove spent flowers. Apply a layer of mulch to prevent frost heaving.
•Take inventory of your leftover and saved seeds. If the seed has been stored under cool, dry conditions, you can expect a good stand of healthy seedlings as follows: Seeds one year old or less: onions, parsley, parsnips and salsify; two years: corn, okra and peppers; three years: beans, southern peas and peas; four years: beets, fennel, mustard, pumpkins, rutabagas, squash, Swiss chard, tomatoes, turnips and watermelons; five years: Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, eggplant, muskmelons, radishes and spinach.
• Go ahead and take cuttings for holiday decorations now. Light pruning of evergreens won’t harm them, and those long, trailing grapevines make excellent wreaths.
• Enclose a thoughtful gift in holiday cards. A small envelope of seeds collected from your garden will be appreciated by your gardening friends. Label the envelope with the collection date, the name of the flower, and planting instructions.
• Force paper-white narcissus bulbs for midwinter scent and color. Use an undrained container, at least two to three inches deep, and fill with enough gravel to reach about one inch below the top. Add water until it’s barely below the surface. Select large, firm bulbs, set them on top of the gravel, and hold them in place with enough gravel to cover the bottom quarter of each bulb. Carefully maintain the water level. Leave in a cool location in low light until well rooted and the first shoots appear. Then move them gradually into bright sunlight and warmer temperatures.
• Fertilize pansies now, and remove spent flowers. Apply a layer of mulch to prevent frost heaving.
• Take the guesswork out of garden preparation. Take a soil sample and have the Cooperative Extension Service send it off for analysis. It’s free! Call 570-6740 for more information.
• Keep things fresh indoors with houseplants! Good, easy-care choices include the spider plant, pothos, philodendron, English ivy, mother-in-law’s tongue, and peace lily. Be careful not to over water, and wait until spring to add fertilizer.
• Use this month to plan for next year’s garden. Review last year’s successes and failures so you’ll be ready for the onslaught of catalogs by the end of the year.
• Poinsettias like bright, indirect light and hate wet feet. Make sure pots have drainage holes. To water, remove the pot from the decorative wrap, water thoroughly, and allow time for the water to drain completely before replacing. Keep plants away from cold drafts and excess heat. Fertilize plants monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer.
• Improve your indoor environment with houseplants. Spider plant, golden pothos, philodendron, English ivy, mother-in-lawÕs tongue, and peace lily are some that require little care and aid in removing indoor air pollutants.
• Clean bird feeders with a chlorine bleach solution and keep them filled with seed and suet. Change the water in your birdbaths at least once a week. Keep hummingbird feeders clean and filled for those species that over-winter here.
• Fertilize pansies and other hardy annuals now and remove spent flowers. Mulch beds to prevent frost heaving.
• Plant asparagus between now and March 15. Choose rust-resistant male varieties such as Jersey Giant or Jersey Gem. Select 2-year-old crowns for a quicker harvest.
• Poinsettia basics:
• Provide at least six hours of bright, indirect light – keep them out of direct sunlight
• Keep them cool – around 70 degrees, if possible
• Protect them from drafts and temperatures below 50 degrees
• Water thoroughly when surface of soil feels dry to the touch. To water, remove decorative wrap and allow the water to drain completely before replacing wrap
• Don’t fertilize when the plant is in bloom
• Go ahead and take cuttings for holiday decorations now. Light pruning of evergreens won’t harm them, and those long, trailing grapevines make excellent wreaths.
• Enclose a thoughtful gift in holiday cards. A small envelope of seeds collected from your garden will be appreciated by your gardening friends. Label the envelope with the collection date, the name of the flower, and planting instructions.
• Force paper-white narcissus bulbs for midwinter scent and color. Use an undrained container, at least two to three inches deep, and fill with enough gravel to reach about one inch below the top. Add water until it’s barely below the surface. Select large, firm bulbs, set them on top of the gravel, and hold them in place with enough gravel to cover the bottom quarter of each bulb. Carefully maintain the water level. Leave in a cool location in low light until well rooted and the first shoots appear. Then move them gradually into bright sunlight and warmer temperatures.
• Christmas tree basics:
• Make a fresh cut of at least half an inch off the bottom just before bringing the tree in
• Stand the cut tree in plenty of water and keep the water reservoir full
• Keep living Christmas trees as cool as possible and well-watered while indoors
• Move the living tree back outdoors as soon as you can and plant it in the ground
• Plant asparagus crowns between now and March 15. For a quicker crop, buy two-year-old crowns. Choose rust-resistant male varieties such as Jersey Giant or Jersey Gem.
• Fertilize pansies now, and remove spent flowers. Apply a layer of mulch to prevent frost heaving.
• Take the guesswork out of garden preparation. Take a soil sample and have the Cooperative Extension Service send it off for analysis. It’s free! Call 570-6740 for more information.
• Keep things fresh indoors with houseplants! Good, easy-care choices include the spider plant, pothos, philodendron, English ivy, mother-in-law’s tongue, and peace lily. Be careful not to over water, and wait until spring to add fertilizer.
• Use this month to plan for next year’s garden. Review last year’s successes and failures so you’ll be ready for the onslaught of catalogs by the end of the year.
• Plan now for a better garden next year. Review last year's successes and failures and have a plan ready before the seed catalog bombardment begins.
• Take inventory of your seed collection. Try this simple germination test for seed viability: Lay 10 to 20 seeds on the surface of 2 or 3 layers of moistened paper towels. Gently roll up the towels and place inside a plastic bag. Seal, label with variety and date of sowing, and place in a warm place (70 - 80 F.) Check to see if seeds have sprouted after 2 - 3 days and continue to check daily for 3 weeks. Total the number of seeds that have germinated. If 10 of 20 seeds have sprouted, you can expect 50 percent germination rate when you plant in the garden.
• Now is a good time to take soil samples from your yard and garden and send them off to have them tested. Call the Alamance County Cooperative Extension Service at 570-6740 for complete instructions on soil testing
• Take advantage of grapevines running habits by taking cuttings now to make decorative wreaths for holiday decorating.
• If you are looking for a gift for that special gardener, consider books! Here are a few of our favorites: The Southern Gardener's Book of Lists by Lois Trigg Chaplin, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden by Tracy DiSabato-Aust, and Botanica's Gardening Encyclopedia or Botanica's Annuals and Perennials.
