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DECEMBER GARDEN
CHORES FOR THE CENTRAL VALLEY,
FOOTHILLS & BAY AREA
Protect your in-ground plants near the
house from becoming waterlogged by extending your home's
rain gutters with flexible pipe.
Fix any dripping outdoor faucets and then
wrap the exposed portion of the water pipes. Insulation that
becomes saturated from a leaky faucet is of little
protective value during freezes.
Turn off and drain sprinkler systems by
removing the head from the sprinkler at the lowest point of
your lawn; or, install a sprinkler end drain.
Drip irrigation systems should be turned
off if a freezing morning is forecast; remove the end plug
for drainage.
Plant from seed directly into the garden
this month in the Sacramento area: Vegetables - bok choy,
broccoli, kale, collards, lettuce, mustard, peas, radish,
spinach. Flowers - California poppy, cornflower, larkspur,
poppy, scabiosa.
Flowering quince, acacias and winter
daphne will be the first plants to bloom in a few weeks.
These harbingers of spring can be planted now.
Spring-blooming perennials to transplant
now include foxglove, columbine, salvia and gaillardia.
Winter and spring blooming annuals
available at local nurseries this month include primroses,
snapdragons, cyclamen, pansies and violas.
Choose poinsettias with an abundance of
dark, rich green foliage that is undamaged, dense and
plentiful all the way down to the soil line.
Clean, sharpen and oil garden pruners
before making the first cut of the season.
Wash mud off shovels and rakes before
putting them away in the garage.
Dormant roots of asparagus and artichokes
are available now in some nurseries. Plant in areas that
have good drainage, such as raised beds or
hillsides.
Living plants that make good Christmas
gifts include herbs. Basil, lavender, lemon balm, marjoram,
mint, oregano, parsley, rosemary, tarragon and thyme grow
well indoors, in a sunny window.
Choosing a living Christmas tree?
Varieties that do well in our climate include the Italian
stone pine, aleppo pine, deodar cedar and Colorado
spruce.
Avoid the Monterey pine (Pinus radiata)
when shopping for a living Christmas tree. The Monterey
pine, which has a tough time surviving here in the valley,
is subject to bark beetles and pine pitch canker.
After purchasing a living Christmas tree,
leave it outside until a few days before Dec. 25 to keep the
tree from becoming stressed.
Keep poinsettia plants thriving through
the winter in your house. Place them in a warm, sunny
location, out of drafts. Water weekly; feed monthly through
April. Then, transplant them outdoors.
If you received houseplants as holiday
gifts, be sure to remove the foil surrounding the pot to
avoid root rot.
Bare root roses are now appearing in area
nurseries. Choose those that list Grade 1 on the label.
These will grow more vigorously in their first year, unlike
those graded as 1-1/2 or 2.
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