Because of our wonderful weather, San Diego gardens continue to grow year-round. December is a great time to add bare-root plants, native wildflowers and cool-season annuals and vegetables.
Freshen House Plants
Give houseplants a new lease on life. If more than a year has passed since the last repotting, replace existing soil with a new mix specifically designed for indoor plants. Wash the pot first to remove any crusty salt buildup. Also clean up the plant, removing dead or damaged foliage, and wash accumulated dust from the leaves.
House plants may benefit from a new location during winter months, away from drying heat vents and near windows that offer more light and warmth. If adding holiday plants to the mix, remember that these winter-season plants like poinsettias, cyclamen and Christmas cactus need a cool spot to survive. Take care to avoid over watering too.
Rain, Before and After
It may be tempting when you know rain is coming to your San Diego garden to toss handfuls of fertilizer around the garden to be watered in by Mother Nature. Unfortunately, if it hasn’t rained recently and the ground is crusty, most of that fertilizer could end up in runoff, where it does no good and may even harm waterways and ultimately the ocean. Instead, fertilize with a light hand and scratch it into the soil to keep it from washing away.
After a rainstorm it’s best to wait a couple days for the garden to dry out a bit so heavy footsteps won’t compact the wet dirt, making it hard for roots and future rainfall to penetrate. Wait at least two days before heading out to weed or plant.
And, if you want to keep weeds down and take better advantage of whatever rain we are lucky to get, mulch your garden beds. See my September 2023 post for more information about how to best use mulch in your garden.
Buy Bare-Root, But Check Chill Times for your San Diego Garden
Bare-root roses, deciduous fruit trees, grapes, cane berries, asparagus and artichokes are starting to show up in nurseries this month. Before you purchase a bare-root stone fruit or apple tree, make sure you are buying the right variety for your garden. Different varieties require a specific number of chill hours to flower and set fruit. (Chill hours are when temperatures drop below 45 degrees.) We have Anna and Golden Delicious apple trees that bear tons of fruit. We also had two other apple trees that barely produced in our yard.
San Diego Gardens Tips Source
A lot of information for San Diego Gardens 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.