December To Do List
Plant: ornamental & wildlife
- Hardy perennials, shrubs
- Trees
- Roses (best time!)
- Winter annuals, including calendula, snapdragon, pansy, viola, dusty miller, ornamental kale and cabbage, alyssum, stock, cyclamen, dusty miller, flowering kale and cabbage
- Avoid planting cold tender plants like Pride of Barbardos, Esperanza, lantana, plumbago
Plant: herbs
- Perennials thyme, oregano
- Avoid planting rosemary
- Cilantro transplants, parsley, dill, fennel , chervil, summer savory, borage, rue, chives
- Be prepared to cover in case of deep freeze
Plant: food crops
- Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Vegetable Planting Guides (Central Texas) http://aggie-horticulture.tamu.edu/travis/home-landscape/edible-gardens/growing-vegetables/
Prune
- Prune freeze damaged plants or not? Best to leave seeds on plants for birds and protect root system. If picky relatives coming, okay to prune
- Avoid pruning shrubs right now unless you see damage
- Do not prune oak trees unless you have damage: paint wound immediately
- Okay to prune trees other than red oaks and live oaks
Divide/Move
- Shrubs, roses, trees, evergreen spring-blooming perennials while dormant
- Asters and other fall-bloomers which are dormant
Prep
- Select spots where you want fruit trees, grapes, or berries to plant in January; for now, prep with compost
- Mulch cold tender plants like gingers, Esperanza and semi-tropicals
- Keep that row cover ready! Do not protect plants with plastic!
Lawn
- Pluck out early weeds.
Other tasks
- Rake leaves into beds to mulch over winter and return nutrients to the soil
- Mow leaves on grass (if not raking to beds or compost) to break them down
- Collect leaves from neighbors to add to compost pile!
- Deeply water new plants; keep new seedlings moist but not drenched
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