It is not the time to sit still: what you should definitely do in the garden in December

Winter seems to be a period of calm for gardeners as it's time to rest before the new season. However, there is a lot of work to be done in the garden even in winter: you need to protect the seedlings from rodents, repair equipment, and make feeders.

You should complete the fall chores before the snow cover is stable: mulch the trunk circle and lawn, remove dried branches, and make shelters for some plants. OBOZ.UA tells you what you should definitely do in the garden in the last month of the year.

Protection against infections

Some shrubs, such as gooseberries, are prone to fungal infections, so they require special attention in the cold. In the first weeks of December, experts advise treating the bushes with a fungicide in the proportion of 5 tablespoons per 10 liters of water.

Apricots and peaches can be treated with a 3% solution of Bordeaux liquid.

Young trees and seedlings should be covered with spruce branches in advance: it is advised to lay them near the trunks with the needles down. The mulch layer should be quite high.

Is fall whitewashing necessary?

Some gardeners advise whitewashing trunks and thick branches to protect trees from sudden changes in temperature. The choice of whitewash composition should be approached very carefully: it should last all winter. You can additionally use garden bandages or cut agrofibre to protect against frost and rodents.

Protection against rodents

Young plants, trees and shrubs should be protected from rodents. Various methods are suitable: roofing material, newspapers, old tights, modern garden bandages and nets. It is worth remembering that some materials get wet quickly and do not dry for a long time, so the plant may suffer from excessive moisture.

Shelter for plants

Heat-loving plants should be safely hidden, so you should check whether you have equipped the shelter properly before the winter frosts. Shelters need to be arranged taking into account the destructive power of winter winds and the weight of snow.

What to do with snow

Snow is the best insulation: it has a porous structure and retains heat from the soil. It is worth making sure that the snow stays on the garden for longer. Shrubs, trees, and perennials are excellent natural snow retention devices. If you've just started to set up your garden and the area is still empty, you should create artificial barriers: cut branches, corn or sunflower stalks, etc. You can even tamp the snow with your feet near tree trunks: this will destroy the passages of voles, but it is better not to trample the lawn once again as the grass needs to breathe.

Heavy and wet snow can already be a problem. Conifers with a clear geometric shape are especially affected. Certain plants should be tied up with a rope that is not too tight and shaken off regularly if the snow sticks.

Winter pruning

If there are no severe frosts in December, you can still prune shrubs such as currants, raspberries, viburnum, and gooseberries.

Feeding birds

Prepare bird feeders. Birds in the garden will help solve many pest problems in the next season.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA published a sowing calendar for December.

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