December Gardening Jobs

Preparation and pruning are key for December in the garden. Plus, don’t forget our feathered friends!

  • If the ground freezes, your garden birds will need your help, so keep feeders topped up and clean water available
  • Insulate outdoor taps to prevent freezing
  • Prune Acers, vines and fruit trees to encourage vigorous growth next year (otherwise wait until Spring)
  • Prepare the soil for next year by digging in manure and compost

Our quick guide to Christmas Trees

Pot Grown

  • Grown in pots and perfect for planting in the ground. If you keep them well watered, they should continue to grow all year. These trees are considered to be carbon positive.
  • Keep them in a cool bright room and make sure they have a saucer underneath the pot so they can be watered regularly.
  • After Christmas, move them out into a sheltered spot in the garden and protect them from frost. Plant them out in Spring and keep them well watered all year.

Cut Trees

These easy-to-care-for trees should hold their needles if you treat them well! Here’s how:

  1. Cut a small disc off the base of the tree
  2. Soak in a bucket of water for an hour
  3. Stand it in a tree base with a water reservoir
  4. Remember to keep the water topped up!
  5. Place the tree in the coolest part of the room

After Christmas make sure you recycle, compost or shred your tree to reduce landfill waste.

Containerised Trees

  • Grown in the ground on a farm, these trees are then uprooted and put into containers. Because some roots get damaged, they have a 50% chance of growing beyond Christmas.
  • Keep them in a cool and bright room and make sure they have a saucer underneath so that they can be watered regularly.
  • After Christmas, move them out into a sheltered spot in the garden. Protect them from frost and plant the in Spring, keeping them well watered all year.