Let’s Garden in December

By Jennifer Fairfield, owner Garden Mill

It looks like winter decided it was time to make its appearance, and though the snow is pretty, the abrupt change in temperature isn’t so much. I shouldn’t complain too much though, since it’s been so incredibly warm and non-winter-like up until just the last few days.

That warmth allowed me to get a lot of the last cleaning out of my vegetable garden done that I am usually doing when it’s cold and windy, so that was nice. I was hoping to get a little more warmth so that I could get some more bulbs planted, but maybe I’ll get a chance to do that yet.

While December isn’t generally considered a gardening month, there are still things we can do this month:

• If you, too, want to get a few more spring-blooming bulbs planted, you can, though you may actually want to wait a little bit. With the drop in temperatures that we’ve just experienced, the soil may be getting to the point of being too hard to work in. I’m betting it won’t stay that way though, and if we get a warmup for a day or two, the ground should thaw enough to allow for planting. One thing not to wait for is getting your bulbs – they’re half off at the Garden Mill now.
• If you’ve had issues with creatures digging up your bulbs in the past, there are a few things you can do to help prevent this. Here’s a link to some options. Another, simple, option is baby powder. Put your bulbs into a paper bag with a generous amount of baby powder and shake them up to coat the bulbs with the powder, then plant them. The odor of the powder can help to throw off the critters.
• If you don’t want to plant bulbs outdoors in the cold, forcing bulbs indoors over the winter is a great way to bring a touch of spring to late winter, before anything’s in bloom outdoors. You’ll need to provide your bulbs with a chilling period first – for as long as 12 weeks – so now’s the time to start. Iowa State University’s Extension Service has detailed information on how to force bulbs.
• We are apparently going to have a pretty mild winter again this year, which can pose issues for our perennials. Mild winters mean the possibility of frost heave. Frost heave can cause damage to plants when roots are pushed up out of the soil as the soil “heaves” up when freezing causes it to expand. Frost heave usually happens when the soil thaws and then freezes again. Most plants don’t survive these sorts of conditions, but a good mulch layer, added once the ground is frozen, can help to keep the soil frozen during the winter, lessening the chances of damage caused by thawing and re-freezing.
• If you have evergreens, especially broadleaf evergreens, such as boxwood, holly, azalea, and rhododendron, consider spraying them with an anti-desiccant to help keep them from drying out in the cold winter winds. When the ground is frozen, plants can’t take up water, and evergreens are especially vulnerable to losing what water they have when it’s windy. Anti-desiccants put a thin, waxy layer on the leaves that helps the plant retain moisture. It’s important to wait until the plants are fully dormant – usually around the time that the soil is completely frozen, and to follow the directions on the label.
• If you put up stakes around your evergreen shrubs, now’s the time to finish the job of screening those plants off from the winter winds. Attach burlap to the stakes.  I use cable ties, commonly referred to as “zip” ties. The burlap screen should be placed along the west and southwest sides of the plant, and possibly all around, depending on where your plants are placed, and how much wind they are getting. Don’t cover the plants entirely – leave the top open – so they can get sun. This method of protecting your shrubs with burlap is much better than wrapping burlap around the plants, which can cause damage to them if we get heavy wet snow or ice that clings to the burlap, making everything heavier, leading to broken branches or worse.
• When we get that heavy snow and ice that we all know is coming at some point this winter, be careful about removing it from tree and shrub branches. Heavy snow can weigh down and potentially break branches, but be careful about removing it, as it’s easy to do more harm than good. Use a broom, and gentle upward motions to sweep away the snow. Banging on frozen branches to shake off snow can cause even more damage. The best thing to do about ice is to leave it alone. It is far more likely that you will cause more damage trying to get it off than the ice will do if left alone to melt.
• Are you getting fresh greens for the holidays, such as a wreath for your front door and roping for your porch railing or fence, or a swag for your mantle?  If so, keep them fresh longer by spraying with water when the temperatures are above freezing. If you are bringing greens inside, including a Christmas tree, you can spray them with an anti-desiccant before bringing them in to help prevent drying. Make sure to follow the label directions, and allow the tree or greens to fully dry before bringing indoors. And don’t forget to put your tree in water and replenish it regularly throughout the season – dry trees can be a real fire hazard.
• If you’re looking for a beautiful wreath, swag, or roping, be sure to come to The Garden Mill. We get ours from a family farm in the Blissfield area, so you’re supporting two local businesses when you buy them from us – and they’re gorgeous.
• With the onset of cold temperatures, birds need a lot of energy just to stay warm. Keep their feeders full, so that they don’t have to waste precious energy searching for food. The Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a fabulous resource for figuring out what types of food the birds in your yard will prefer, as well as what feeders to use to attract them.
• If your bird houses are not going to break in freezing temperatures, clean out any leftover nesting debris and leave them up for the winter. Birds will be thankful for an empty birdhouse to huddle together in to keep warm at night.
• Put a de-icer in your birdbath or give your birds a heated birdbath, so that they have a source of fresh water all winter. Water is as essential as food, and becomes much harder to find in the winter.
• If you’re looking for something fun to do this winter, the annual Christmas Bird Count, which happens all over the country between Dec. 14 and Jan. 5, and the Great Backyard Bird Count, which happens in February, are great ways to help the birds and the people who study them. Details are here for the Christmas Bird Count in Ann Arbor on Dec. 21. There’s also a count happening on Dec. 14 at Waterloo Recreation Area and one in Manchester on Dec. 17. For details on those and counts happening in your area, enter your zip code on this map. You can participate in the Great Backyard Bird Count in your own backyard.