Gardening tasks to Do in December

The truth is that a gardener thinks of very material things in December. He is thinking of what he wants to give some good gardener for Christmas or else what he wishes he had himself. But when anyone asks him, “What do you want for Christmas?” he blinks his eyes and says, “Well, I don’t want a thing, just a card,” but deep in his heart he wants some special garden book, a new and better trowel, a bird-bath, a gay poinsettia, a vase for flow­ers, or perhaps a garden diary. Yes, Christmas, which lasts all thru Decem­ber, is the season of longing and of happy satisfaction.

The North

Large shade trees may be moved any time during the winter.

Trees which are not healthy and vigorous are seldom satisfactory after moving. They should be planted as soon as possible after being dug. A good tree carefully dug, properly planted, and guaranteed by a reliable firm is a good investment.

Pruning of trees, shrubs, and vines may be done during the mild winter days.

A mulch is unquestionably a protec­tion to perennials which are growing in a heavy soil. It is much safer, however, to apply a mulch which covers the ground but not the top of the plant. Peatmoss is ideal for this purpose. A half inch to an inch layer will prove adequate.

An aquarium is a logical hobby for an enthusiastic gardener. This may be developed in the living-room, sunporch, or in the small conservatory. If built on a large enough scale the joy of an outdoor pool may be had indoors for the winter. A cedar tub, a galvanized iron tank, or a concrete pool may be built as a permanent feature in the home.

House plants sooner or later will be found to have several forms of insect pests. Commonest among these are plant lice, mealy bugs, and scale. The first two may be controlled by spraying with nicotine sulphate or with a pyre-thrum extract. Examine the roots of your house plants occasionally by tak­ing them out of the pot to see if they need repotting.

Frozen plants should be thawed out gradually. Spray them with cold water and keep them away from the sunshine and intense heat until they are com­pletely thawed.

Remember to include flowers, potted plants, bulbs, seeds and the like in your Christmas lists. One reader wrote us of receiving a “golden garden”—pack­ages of choice seeds of yellow flowers. Needless to say such a gift will prove a real delight to a garden lover.

For Christmas gifts fill baskets with branches cut from your berried shrubs.

For other Christmas gifts, use sets of handy tools, garden books, a set of trowels, a collection of rare seeds, a live evergreen for a Christmas tree, or an order on a nursery for shrubbery or other plants.

Christmas decorations should ex­tend into the yard and garden. A living Christmas tree with gay lights will be enjoyed by all the passersby while sprays of bittersweet around the sun­dial, with wreaths over the doors and plenty of cheery winter window boxes also help to bring holiday cheer.

Early this month go to a nursery and select a live evergreen for your own Christmas tree and have it planted for you in a tub or candy bucket painted green.

Dig a hole at once and fill it with leaves or cover with a bushel basket at a place where you expect to plant this live Christmas tree.

Excelsior is the best winter cover­ing for tops that remain green. Other good covers are salt marsh hay, corn fodder, evergreen boughs, peatmoss, old brush and straw. Leaves can be used in some places but they mat down and smother plants underneath. Cover hilled-up roses with a mulch of straw or leaves.

Sand is recommended for a winter covering for some tender plants, such as Anchusa and Japanese Anemones.

Berried Shrubs. If you do not have any berried shrubs, plan to get some. Place the name winterberry on your order blank, also Cotoneaster diehiana.

To protect from rodents, put a col­lar of tin, tar paper, or closely woven wire-netting around small fruit trees.

The West Coast

Lilium auratum and speciosum and the native California lilies should be planted now in light, rich soil, with plenty of sand. Do not disturb estab­lished lilies unless too crowded.

Cactus are now dormant and should seldom be watered. Start cactus cut­tings in sand after thoroly drying the cut ends. Protect cactus against frost or too much rain and put charcoal and lime in the light sandy soil.

Plant Sweet Peas now to get bloom in April and May.

Renew the perennial border by taking up the plants and replanting them in freshly spaded and fertilized soil. Plant dwarf gladiolus among the perennials for the succession of bloom.

Begin pruning and planting trees and shrubs, adding to the list as many as possible of the spring-flowering shrubs.

Montbretia bulbs can be planted from now on to March.

Let roses have a resting period from now on to early March. Prune them the latter part of this month.

Seeds. Many flowers and vegetable seeds and various bulbs can be planted this month.

Christmasberry. All California gar­dens should contain Christmasberry (Heteromeles arhutifolia), now so bril­liant, for Christmas cheer.

The South

Roses. The best time to transplant roses in this region is from late Novem­ber thru December and January.

Shrubs which make their bloom on new or current season wood can be pruned from now until February, while plants are dormant.

Plant deciduous trees and shrubs, bamboos, evergreens, deciduous garden fruits, nut trees, and vines this month and next.

Keep newly planted azaleas well watered.

Set out asparagus and rhubarb roots, cabbage and strawberry plants.

In New Orleans plant Easter Lilies, callas, amaryllis, and Hemerocallis (daylily).

In Texas spray your citrus fruits with an oil emulsion spray to control scale, insects, and white fly. Mulch the trees.

In other Gulf states consult your state agricultural college for spray di­rections for citrus and other fruits.

Southern Holly (Ilex opaca) can be handled with success only during the winter months, when dormant.

To prevent freezing to the ground, stems of tropical plants and shrubs in the subtropical zone should be banked if the weatherman warns you that a hard frost is coming.

Layering. Hydrangeas, holly, ole­anders, and various vines are propa­gated by layering throughout the winter months.