December is the month the Old Farmers Almanac calls the month of the “Cold Moon” and the Ojibwe people call “Little Spirit Moon.”
Garden word of the month: Phosphorous: as it relates to gardening, it’s part of a blend of major nutrients that includes nitrogen and potassium and is essential in establishing healthy roots and shoots and promotes blooms in flowering plants.
In the Garden
“If you want to be happy for an hour, have a party. If you want to be happy for a week kill your pig and eat it. If you want to be happy all your life, become a gardener.” Chinese Proverb.
I can barely see the outline of my raised beds, and my hoophouse is sagging under the weight of about 8 inches of snow. You might say the gardening season is over!. However, the season never really ends for gardeners, especially if you’re caring for plants indoors.
December is a good time to inspect our houseplants. A lot of people say they kill houseplants, when in reality they probably water too little or too much. I’ve been guilty of underwatering but I have found that if I set about 20 minutes aside once a week to water I can keep them looking pretty good.
Here are a few tips for December gardening:
- Check on your houseplants. If the water is continually draining out the bottom of the pot, either fluff up the soil with a fork or consider repotting the plant into some fresh potting mix. .
- Check your houseplants for insects. Take a sheet of copy paper and hold it under the leaves of the plants and shake the plants. If there are insects, they should fall onto the paper where you can identify them. Aphids, mites, and thrips are some of the more common predators of houseplants. If insects have been a problem, consider a proactive course of action whereas you spray the plants once a week or as needed with the appropriate insecticides. Insecticides containing pyrethrum and horticulture oil are safe bets for you and your pets.
- Buy a poinsettia! Support the hard working horticulture industry by purchasing a nice red, pink, or white poinsettia.
Don’t forget to let your loved ones know what you want for Christmas! Or you may want to gift yourself with some garden gifts. Here is a list of garden products I can’t do without these days:
- The garden kneeler has made gardening so much more pleasurable for me due to my stiff back and advancing age. You can sit or kneel on this lightweight apparatus. I find it indispensable when planting garlic bulbs where I have to get down on my hands and knees and harvesting beans from a sitting position. There is even a pouch for your garden tools. Now how cool is that!
- CobraHead Weeder. This is a patented product sold from a mom-and-pop company out of Wisconsin. It comes as a short or long-handled tool. It will break up some tough soil, but I find it especially useful for weeding between the cracks of a sidewalk, eliminating the need to spray harmful chemicals.
- Stirrup hoe. This tool makes the arduous task of weeding much easier. Enough said!
Native plants
Planting native plants is the best way to attract pollinators, monarch butterflies, and other beneficial insects to your property. I highly recommend Prairie Moon Nursery out of Winona, MN for seeds and plugs. You can order kits or individual trays. They’re spring offerings go on sale around December 19, according to Heather, at Prairie Moon. Order early while supplies last. You should also check with local soil conservation districts for native plant spring sales.
Happy holidays and happy gardening!
Neil
Disclaimer: I may receive a small stipend for the sale of the products highlighted above.