by ukgardenphotos

Gardening tips for December!

Note: those garden tips are based on the climate as in The Netherlands, a relatively cool climate. Most tips are to use for sub tropical and mediate climate.

Garden tip – Christmas trees

Christmas trees sold with roots on it can be plant in the garden after Christmas. Keep in mind following tips: buy a tree which have good roots and is planted in a large container; let the tree acclimatize a week in a cold place before you bring it in the house; do not cut the top of the tree; give the tree water daily on the roots; do not keep the tree to long inside the house; let it acclimatize before going to the garden. After planting the tree in the garden give it water frequently to prevent drying out during winter time.

Garden tip – pruning

Some trees must be pruned before in spring time the regrow starts. Those bleeders will die if you prune them in spring time. Examples of bleeders are: Acer, Betula, Carpinus betulus and nut tree. If you prune too late the tree can die or becomes a lot of damage. Best pruning time is December or January.

Garden tip – winter cutting

Some shrubs or trees can be multiplied in winter time, we call this winter cutting. Examples are: Forsythia, Hydrangea, Salix, Ribes and Deutzia. Take short pieces of the stem, prefer the middle of the wooden branches, take pieces of 20 till 30 cm and make bundles of them. Cut of the branches in the top with a sharp cutter, just above a sleeping eye. Put them in earth or sand and keep them a bit wet. Put the stems upright in the growing direction, you can see this on how the buds grow.

Garden tip – the pond

In December you may not clean the pond because many animals and fish have taken rest now and you will disturb them. It is good to use a special action to keep a part of the pond free of ice. The water can take air and gas can escape. A bundle straw or Fragmitis can be helpful. You  never may open the ice with force because this can kill the fish.

Garden tip – winter protection

To protect plants which can not have any frost in winter time means cover the plants with an airy layer such as leaves or branches. Some plants can be covered with compost. Also plastic with small holes in it can be used. Only cover the plants when it is freezing. Do not cover on a nice sunny day when temperature is above zero. Do not put too much leaves, peat or branches on top of your plants.

Garden tip – general

Do not forget to close the tab outside and open the tab on the wall. Empty the water pipe.
Ceramic pots can frees in winter time when the earth is too wet. Check if the holes underneath are still open.
If it is snowing take away thick layers on the conifers or winter green shrubs, they can break because of the weight.

Tips for flower arrangers

Some shrubs have nice berries in winter time. We can use them in our Christmas arrangements. If it start snowing early the birds will eat them. A net over a shrub prevent you for this. Feed the birds in winter time with suitable food. Nice Christmas materials from the garden are Ilex, Skimmia, Pieris, conifer, Hedera, Sansevieria, bald branches of Salix, Cornus and not to forget Mistletoe.

by **Mary**

Dogface asks: Gardening advice: growing broadbean plants?
I planted 3 seeds about two weeks ago but only 2 germinated they seem to be growing well but now theyve got small black patches on their leaves and theyre kind of curling up and going crinkly what is this? is it some sort of plant disease?? can i do anything about it??? Also what are the best conditions to be growing them in cos at the moment theyre in a small glass jar indoors but really theyre getting too big for it already. I dont know all that much about growing plants at all so any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!(:

The answer voted best is:

Answer by nlmelley
It’s completely normal that 2 out of 3 seeds sprouted. Many people plant more than they need for this reason. It sounds like you have a fungal problem which is common when seeding things indoors. Broad beans (unlike some plants like tomatoes and peppers) are pretty easy to start directly in the ground and they actually like cooler weather. If you can, I would recommend just planting them right into a garden.

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by epSos.de

Sarah R asks: Tomato gardening advice?
I live in Eastern North Carolina, and I decided a little bit late in the season to attempt growing tomatoes for the first time. At the end of July, I purchased a fully grown tomato plant. Within a couple of weeks flowers started showing up, but within 2 weeks or so, those flowers fell off. Since it was late August at that point, I gave up hope. But in mid-September, flowers started growing, and a couple of weeks later, tomatoes started growing. Now it is mid-October, and I have about 10 tomatoes on my plant. They have not started turning red yet, but they keep on getting bigger. With the weather cooling off, I am desperate for advice on my plant. Is there any way to protect my plant from the cool weather, in hopes of saving the tomatoes?

Any advice is greatly appreciated!

Thanks!!
My plant is in a pot, not in the ground.

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Rottie Mom
Water the plant before an expected cold snap, then cover it with a piece of fabric. I bought a bolt of felt to use for covering plants. It’s usually 72″ wide, so it’ll cover fairly tall plants. .

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by Gardening in a Minute

A_Ash_A asks: New to water gardening, and need advice on water lilies…?
My husband and I have recently build a water garden in my back yard, which will have koi and water plants in it. I bought a water lily today(one that was potted and already had a flower on it), anyway…on my way home the flower broke off my plant. I want to know if it will grow another flower or if that will be it for the year. Oh, by the way…it’s a hardy native water lily, and I’m in Oklahoma(as far as climate goes). Any advice would be good. Thanks.

The answer voted best is:

Answer by ?
i think that would be it for the year.until next good luck with your water garden.

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by epSos.de

Paul G asks: Turning old turf into compost?
I have moved into a new house and the garden is really uneven, slopes from back to front and left to right. The builder gave me some turf he had laying around which i used to turf half the garden. It was a rushed job though as I knew the turf had to be laid quick and looks awful on the slope and has lots of gaps undereneath. I really want the garden to look nice, so was planning on taking the turf up and rotavating the soil (this will be april time, when dryer), as it is made from clay and is uneven, sticky and waterlogged. i will eventually buy new turf for the centre as plan to put borders, decking and patio’s in places. I have read that clay soil needs mixing with organic material like compost to help break it up. Can i use the old turf? Any other advice on clay soil and how to get it level would be great. Thanks

The answer voted best is:

Answer by recycled bumpkin
if you take up the turf turn it upside down make a stack.it will rot down and give you some good compost mix it with grit and it will break down to a fine loamy soil.

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by Sarah Korf

Ames asks: How do I deal with an out-of-control compost pile?
Hi!

I’m looking for some advice on how to deal with my big mess of a compost pile.

We just moved into a house in southeast PA and the local trash service does not collect yard waste, so we inherited two large compost bins full of yard waste. The bins are at least a few years old, so one would think that by now there might be some gorgeous, yummy compost in there somewhere, but no…all we have is a whole lot of very slowly decaying woody trimmings, piles of weeds (many with seed heads…yikes!), and tons of grass clippings that take up at least half of one bin. From what I understand about composting, this mix just ain’t good.

The bins are made of wood and chicken wire. They’re about 5′ wide x 5′ deep x 5′ tall each with boards nailed all around the bottom up to 3 feet off the ground…so no getting to the compost easily even if there were some. The chicken wire runs around 3 sides of each bin with the 4th side left open, and they are overflowing with yard waste.

Basically, it just looks like a big mess. Thankfully, there is an absolutely gorgeous wisteria vine covering the entire side of these bins that faces my house, so at least we have a nice view. Can’t say the same for the neighbors, though.

So can I do anything to fix these compost piles and end up with some decent compost to put on my garden next year? I know it needs aeration, but I can’t see how I will possibly be able to turn it at all with the bins being enclosed at the bottom and filled to my eye level. Any suggestions?

Also, our garden next year (fruits and veggies) will be grown using entirely organic methods and products. If the yard waste in the pile was treated with chemicals while it was still living and growing, will those chemicals be present in the compost??

Maybe I should just have the entire contents of the bins hauled away and start from scratch.

Any suggestions, information, and advice is welcome and very appreciated! Thanks in advance.
Amy

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Dan B
Check with a local nursery. It sounds like the compost pile can use a couple of bags of steer manure to get the composting started. Mix it well with a fork.

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by David Harber

cameron asks: Starting a veggie/fruit garden need help!?
I’ve decided to start a veggie and fruit garden indoors (in pots/containers) and have a couple questions. Every thing I have read as shown that you should get organic potting mix to fill up the container. I have already started a compost and it should be ready in 1-2 more weeks. When do I add the compost, in the beginning or every once and while? Also does compost take place of fertilizer or do i still need to fertilize? Do I need to change the soil when it becomes depleted of nutrients or just add/replace more compost/fertilizer? Any other advice would be welcomed and appreciated thanks in advanced!!! Oh yeah i’m thinking of growing, onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, potatoes, and maybe cucumber with berries and some herbs!!

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Mr.Waffle
Change the soil and water the plants.

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by Darkroom Daze

Claire asks: How to deter a fox getting into my garden?
I live in a town and have a small front and rear garden. Last n ight a fox dug a hole under the fence at the front and got into the rear garden. There is only one place where this is possible and the fox found it! I know it was a fox from the smell on the ground – quite pungent! I have raked the soil back in place and put some stones along the edge of the close boarded fence as well as another large piece of timber. If it really wanted to, it could no doubt burrow under there again, but I was wondering if there was a quick fix answer of something that might deter it – preferrably something organic. I have no idea why it wanted to get into my garden, the dustbins are well secured and there is no food debris. I have a dog and it could be that she has buried something that the fox wants to get to, but who knows. Any advice gratefully received.

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by Balaji.B

Austin R asks: Any tips/advice for gardening raspberries?
What sort of soil would you use? What sort of fertilizer is advisable? Any general advice? Thanks!

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Rustskipper
Hey Austin,

Soil used depends on where you live, North, South, East, West. Southern soils are generally poor because the sun beats down so hot that fallen organic matierials are quickly rotted and disappear – not like old soils of the north with years of mapel leaf compost in the soil. Test the soil to determine its pH and fertility levels. Raspberries prefer a soil pH of 5.6 to 6.2; acid soils may require applications of ground limestone to increase the pH. Soil testing information is available from your county Cooperative Extension office.

Generally, you should amend your soil, what ever it is, with about 50% organic compost.

To get the most out of your raspberry planting, choose your site carefully. Raspberries prefer full sunlight and grow best in well-drained, sandy loam soils rich in organic matter. Avoid low areas that remain wet late into the spring, but select a site with access to a water supply. Irrigation is important for good plant growth during dry periods and can improve fruit size and yield. Do not plant raspberries where tomatoes, potatoes, peppers, or eggplant have been grown within the past four years, because these crops carry a root rot called Verticillium that can also attack raspberries. Destroy all wild raspberry and blackberry plants within a distance of 600 feet of your planting site if possible, to reduce the possibility that virus diseases might be spread to your planting.

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by Gardening in a Minute

Deans asks: How often should I water seeds in a vegetable garden?
A few weeks ago I planted some green bean seeds in a small raised bed vegetable garden. Only 2 seeds sprouted out of 2 decent size rows. I am a novice gardener and went by the advice of the employee at a local garden center to mix in some mushroom compost into my top soil…and that was it. I was told that I wouldn’t need to water much…so I didn’t. I don’t know what could have inhibited the seeds from sprouting. Perhaps they weren’t good seeds? Maybe my soil was too dry? It seemed to drain well when I watered…but also appeared to have a dry crackly surface…could the soil have not been prepared enough?

I went back to the garden center and bought some organic compost…they said it would drain better because it was more leafy. I reworked all of the soil, even digging up my tomato and pepper plants…setting them aside, and reworking that soil. After replanting them…along with my new green bean seeds…I watered them really well. Should I continue to water my seeds good until they sprout? Or should I just water occasionally? I could really use some tips on how to make it do as good as it can. I am so new at this. (it gets a lot of sun)

The answer voted best is:

Answer by Kung Fu Panda
twice a day.morning and at night.until you see germination

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germination

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