December 2024 Gardening Tips

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Lawn & Turf

Remove leaves from cool-season grasses or mow with a mulching mower. (HLA-6420)
Continue mowing cool-season lawns on a regular basis. (HLA-6420)
Continue to control broadleaf weeds in well-established warm- or cool-season lawns with a post-emergent broadleaf weed killer. (HLA-6421)

Select a freshly cut Christmas tree. Make a new cut prior to placing in tree stand. Add water daily.
Live Christmas trees are a wise investment, as they become permanent additions to the landscape after the holidays.
Light prunings of evergreens can be used for holiday decorations. Be careful with sap that can mar surfaces.

Apply winter mulch to protect rose bush bud unions and other perennials. Wait until after several early freezes.
Poinsettias must have at least six hours of bright, indirect light daily. Keep plants away from drafts. (HLA-6413)
Watch for and control pests on indoor houseplants. (HLA-6411)
Make sure indoor plants are receiving enough light or set up an indoor fluorescent plant light. (HLA-6411)

Cover strawberry plants with a mulch about 3-4 inches thick if plants are prone to winter injury. (HLA-6214)
Wait to prune fruit trees until late February or March. (HLA-6228)

Keep all plants watered during dry conditions even though some may be dormant. Irrigate all plantings at least 24 hours before hard-freezing weather if soil is dry. (HLA-6404)
Order gardening supplies for next season.
Now is a great time to design and make structural improvements in your garden and landscape. (HLA-6425, HLA-6440, HLA-6441)
Christmas gift ideas for the gardener might include tools, garden books, magazine subscriptions, or membership to The Botanic Garden at OSU.
Clean and fill bird feeders.
Till garden plots without a cover crop to further expose garden pests to harsh winter conditions.
Visit your county extension office or visit the fact sheets web page to obtain gardening information for the new gardening season.
Join a horticulture, plant or urban forestry society and support community “greening” or “beautification” projects.
Review your garden records so you can correct past mistakes. Purchase a new gardening journal or calendar to keep the New Year’s gardening records.

If precipitation has been deficient (1” of snow = ~ 1/10” of water), water lawns, trees, and shrubs, especially broadleaf and narrowleaf evergreens. Double check moisture in protected or raised planters.
Check on supplies of pesticides. Secure a copy of current recommendations and post them in a convenient place. Dilution and quantity tables are also useful.
Check that gardening tools and equipment are in good repair—sharpen, paint, and repair mowers, edgers, sprayers, and dusters.
Inspect your irrigation system and replace worn or broken parts. (HLA-6615)
Control overwintering insects on deciduous trees or shrubs with dormant oil sprays applied when the temperature is above 40°F in late fall and winter. Do not use “dormant” oils on evergreens. (EPP-7306)
A product containing glyphosate plus a postemergent broadleaf herbicide can be used on dormant bermudagrass in January or February when temperatures are above 50°F for winter weed control. (HLA-6421)