San Diego gardens grow year-round. Compared to so many parts of the country where gardens are dormant this time of year, we can still see flowers blooming out our windows. Here are some December gardening tips for a wonderful holiday season and a beautiful winter garden.
Gifts from your San Diego Garden
Gifts from your garden make great holiday presents for other gardeners, foodies and kids. Give herbs in pretty pots, a bowl of newly sprouted lettuces, a bundle of wildflower seeds or radish-growing kits for kids. Jams, jellies, pickles and relishes in pretty jars or bulbs, succulents and small plants are fun gifts too. Add a favorite recipe or care instructions to make it personal.
Poinsettia and Christmas Tree Care
Most of the 40 million poinsettias sold annually in the United States originated at the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas. If you’ve brought one or more home this season, you can care for them by giving them indirect sunlight, an indoor temperature of 68 to 70 degrees, and water when the soil feels dry to the touch. It’s best to remove them from their holiday foil wrappers when watering so they can drain completely. Overwatering can quickly kill poinsettias.
To keep your Christmas tree fresh, cut off an inch of the trunk when you purchase it. If you can’t get it indoors immediately, keep it in a shady location in a bucket of water. When you’re ready to bring the tree indoors, cut off another inch of trunk and put it in a stand full of water. Check the water level in the stand daily during the first week and frequently after that to keep it from drying out. If you are using a living tree, it’s best to keep it in the house for no more than 10 days to two weeks.
Plant Holiday Amaryllis in Your San Diego Garden
Those beautiful and brightly colored amaryllis (Hippeastrum) that we give and receive for the holidays can also be planted in your garden. In most parts of San Diego County, plant the pear-shaped bulbs with the necks even with the soil level. They can take full sun to partial shade. Slugs and snails find them tasty, so protect them with something like Sluggo, copper barriers or traps. The bulbs are mildly toxic if eaten, so don’t let anyone chew on them.
Everything I read says amaryllis bloom in spring, but mine, which are in partial shade, bloomed in July this year. In the ground, they’ll get up to two feet tall, and if happy, they’ll multiply.
If you’re looking for amaryllis bulbs to grow in your own yard or potted amaryllis for the holidays, try a local company based in Oceanside, www.easytogrowbulbs.com.
San Diego Garden Tips Source
A lot of information for San Diego Gardening Tips comes from the Master Gardener Association of San Diego County. They are a great resource for all of your gardening needs including planting, pests, vegetables, and water use. They even have a free hotline where you can get your home gardening and pest control problems answered.