December

Late-Autumn, early Winter

The festive season is upon us again, and thankfully it's not the busiest time of year in the garden. What with the poor weather, and Christmas shopping writing off most weekends, we'll be lucky to even step foot into the garden. If you get the chance to get out between the storms, the first job that need tackling is tidying the beds and removing leaves. If the weather is too bad, then take the time to clean and oil your tools and machinery. Other general jobs that need looking into will be cleaning you potting equipment and materials in the Greenhouse.

If you have a pond, keep the leaves out of the pond as they will smother the ecosystem by absorbing all the oxygen.

If you are not currently working from a plan it would be a good time to put one together. Plan out which plants you would like to grow and then the crop rotation system you should use. Take a look at our crop rotation guide

Want a more detailed list of jobs to do each week? Join the mailing list and every Thursday at around 3:00pm you will receive a list of jobs to do for the weekend.

After the Beans and Peas have been harvested, turn the ground and leave it for the winter. Legumes have bacteria around their roots which store Nitrogen and by using the frosts of winter to break up the soil the nitrogen can be absorbed into the surrounding ground. It is also time to lift root vegetables, and store them for later use. Thin Onions and Turnips if required. Plant out late crops such as Cauliflower.

• Plant Garlic cloves either in pots ready to transplant later
• Broad beans should be planted away from Wind
• Plant early varieties of veg in the greenhouse

Beetroot , Broad Beans (Fava) , Cabbages , Calabrese , Carrots , Chicory , Chinese Cabbage , Jerusalem Artichokes , Kohl Rabi , Lettuce , Peas , Radish , Spring Onions , Turnips

Asparagus , Aubergines (Eggplant) , Beetroot , Brussels Sprouts , Cabbages , Calabrese , Carrots , Chicory , Chinese Cabbage , Cucumbers , Florence Fennel , French Beans , Globe Artichokes , Jerusalem Artichokes , Kale , Kohl Rabi , Leeks , Lettuce , Onions , Parsnips , Peppers , Radish , Salsify , Scorzonera , Spinach , Spring Onions , Swedes , Sweetcorn , Swiss Chard , Tomatoes , Turnips

Beetroot , Broad Beans (Fava) , Broccoli , Brussels Sprouts , Cabbages , Carrots , Cauliflowers , Cucumbers , French Beans , Globe Artichokes , Kale , Leeks , Lettuce , Onions , Peppers , Potatoes , Radish , Rhubarb , Runner Beans , Seakale , Shallots , Spinach , Spring Onions , Swiss Chard , Tomatoes

Leeks

• Take any hardwood cuttings from fruit bushes

• Prune blackberry canes

• Plant soft fruit canes

Planting Season

It's catalogue time in the fruit garden. Time to make the selection for next year and get them posted for planting in late Autumn. It is also a good time to start moving fruit trees to new locations. If you still have any Apples and Pears then get them harvested and stored. Cuttings from Apricots, Cherries and Gooseberries should be burnt to prevent any infections.

• Pot up tender perennials and bring them under cover over winter

• Remove fallen leaves from the borders

• Cut down and compost the annuals

If you have some large trees in your garden then this month most of your time will be spent collecting up the leaves for leaf mould. In any spare time you have after that prepare beds for planting by clearing out any dead plants. While removing any plants collect seeds for next years plants.

Lawns and pathways should be prepared now before the frost damages them any more.

Spring bulbs should now be in the ground, so get the last ones in as soon as you can.

Herbaceous plants can be lifted and divided, and shrubs and bushes should be moved now.

If you have not had any frost yet continue to take cuttings

Clean the greenhouse glass inside and out, then insulate the whole greenhouse using bubble wrap. Check plants weekly to make sure they are not rotting or infected with any diseases. Also keep an eye on the guttering and remove leaves as required.

Hopefully most pests and diseases will be dormant for the winter, however keep an eye out for greenfly, whitefly and red spider mite.

This month frost protection is the main problem. All tender plants should now be indoors, undercover or have frost protection covering them. If you have not done so already then you may already be too late to stop the frost from getting them.