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Garden Notes for December 2023.

If you have root crops in the ground (such as carrots or parsnips), put some straw down before the frosts take too strong a hold. This will help stop the ground freezing and allow them to be lifted whatever the weather.

Keep up good hygiene. Clear crops that are past their best and start digging the ground, so long as it is workable.

It does help to know the soil pH in your garden. There are simple test kits available from garden centres. If the patch you are testing proves to be acidic (a pH that is lower than 7.0), then use lime where you intend to plant any of the brassica crops such as cabbages, cauliflower, or Brussel sprouts, this will reduce the chance of infection from club-root. It is recommended that you should take an average of three readings.

Onion seed should be sown as soon after Christmas is over. Ideally they should be sown in seed boxes under cover in the greenhouse, but failing this they can be sown direct in cold frames, so long as they are kept frost-free. Shallots can be planted even earlier, just after December 21st, direct into the soil – so long as the conditions are suitable (i.e. frost-free and not into sodden ground).

If you order your seeds and onion sets, potatoes and flower seed before the end of December, many of the seeds companies offer a discount for early ordering. Also it helps you get the pick of the seeds as many of the most popular items, or rarer types may be sold out if you leave it too late

Some of the earliest bulbs can be brought into the greenhouse. Bring in a few at a time so that a succession is maintained as far into the spring as possible.

Apply sulphate of potash around fruit trees at a rate of 1 oz per square yard. Keep an eye out for slug and snail attacks on plants if the weather turns mild. It is worth putting cinders or some sharp sand round the crown of delphiniums to stop these pests making their damaging attacks.

I have discovered that squares of weldmesh are a very useful additional tool since they can be used in a variety of ways to protect plants from bird attacks, or for temporary storage, keeping animals off areas growing delicate plants and so on. They can also be used to protect delicate plants that have to be left outside in the more severe weather, by making a square and filling in with straw or other insulating material to protect against damaging frosts – especially when the frost and/or snow goes on for a long time.

Finally after all your hard work, have a very happy and peaceful Christmastide.

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