Gardening jobs this month: December

From Prima gardening expert Ann-Marie Powell:

■ Keep lawns, borders and paths clear of fallen leaves.
■ Once deciduous plants and climbers have cleared, repair garden structures.
■ Dig over new borders.
■ Plant evergreen shrubs if conditions are dry.
■ Plant bare-root roses, trees and shrubs.
■ Ensure you have berries for Christmas decorations by netting holly bunches to protect them from birds.
■ Net your pond to keep the water clear of leaves.
■ Order seed catalogues to enjoy over the festive break.
■ Prune bush roses down by half to avoid roots damage in winter winds.
■ Clear the remains of old crops in vegetable patches.
■ Buy a container-grown Christmas tree.

From Country Living gardening editor Stephanie Donaldson:

In the greenhouse
■ Check the greenhouse heating is working properly.
■ Ventilate whenever there's a sunny day to keep the atmosphere dry.
■ In the greenhouse, water sparingly early in the day.

Tidying
■ Clean and repair tools and tidy the shed.
■ Sort out any leftover or half-empty seed packets and throw out any that are now out of date or damaged.
■ Saved seeds left to dry can now be cleaned and packaged. If you have enough, a packet of home-grown seeds makes an ideal little gift slipped into a Christmas card.
■ Wash all pots and seed trays so they are ready for spring sowing.
■ Remove and burn dead foliage from around roses to help control black spot.
■ Check for hellebore viral disease ‘black death'; look for black streaking and mottling between leaf veins. There's no cure, so burn affected plants

Planting and sowing
■ Plant trees and hedges, as long as the ground isn't frozen

Pruning
■ Prune formal deciduous hedges. Cut back the sunny side and top, and trim the shady side next December.
■ Informal deciduous hedges that have grown leggy can be rejuvenated this month with some radical pruning. Cut every second stem close to ground level. Next year, when new growth has sprouted from the base, the remaining stems can be cut down.
■ Winter prune apple, pear and quince trees - burn any shoots that show signs of canker.

Plan ahead
■ Plan your planting for the coming year.
■ Fill in your seed order.

Weather
■ Protect vulnerable plants. Fleece is very effective, but if you prefer something less obtrusive, a circle of wire-netting filled with bracken or leaves will keep the cold at bay.
■ Cover empty vegetable beds with fleece or clear (not back) plastic, which will warm the soil so it is easier to work.
■ Bring watering cans under cover. If they have to stay out, turn them upside down to prevent frost damage.
■ Keep an area of the pond ice-free by partially covering it with boards.

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