What you need to do with your garden and flower beds in December: useful tips

Winter is traditionally considered a period of rest for gardeners and vegetable growers. The harvest is in, the vegetables are in the pantry, the canned food is waiting to appear on the festive table, and the garden is "asleep" under the snow cover, waiting for the next season.

However, in December, you should have time to do a few more important things to prepare the soil for spring planting. OBOZ.UA tells you what work should be done in the garden by the end of the year.

What to do in the garden in December

First of all, you should take care of protecting trees and shrubs. At the beginning of winter, you need to protect the root system from frost and sudden temperature changes: mulch the trunk circle and add a covering material.

Strawberries also need warming. You can use coniferous residues or poplar branches.

You should also make sure that the grapes are properly and reliably insulated because this heat-loving crop may not survive severe frosts.

If there are no severe frosts and no snow in December, you can prune the shrubs of:

• currants
• gooseberries
• viburnum
• rose hips
• barberry

How to care for a flower garden

If the weather is frosty, you should immediately cover the flower beds with snow. The thickness of the snow can reach 30 cm. However, you need to remove the snow crust as it is not loose like regular snow, causing plants to rot.

Bulbous plants need to be protected from rodents. Pests can not only gnaw the bark of trees but also damage lilies, crocuses, tulips, and irises.

Flower beds can be covered with spruce and pine needles and branches. Most ornamental perennials do not respond well to windy and snowless weather, and an additional protective layer will help the flowers not to freeze.

Ornamental conifers should be protected from sticking wet snow and from the first sunburn in spring.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA told you what fertilizers should be prepared in winter to improve the harvest.

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