December Gardening Tips

December gardening is the planning month. So take some time this month to relax and dream up some ideas for next year.  Most major garden chores should be done for the outdoor gardening season, but ramping up for the indoor gardener.  Since the garden is always at work in some way, we came up with a short list of items to remember.

Garden Jobs in December

• You do want to keep composting during December, like any other month.
• If your garden tools have not been cleaned and serviced, do that this month. If you can find a nice warm spot in the garage or even a cold sunny day outside would be great.
• As you are going through catalogs, make a list of seeds or summer bulbs you want to experiment with next year.
• Create a different arrangement for your perennial plant area. If you never have had one, plan a small one this year.

For Oregon residents, the OSU Extension office has specific December gardening tips available.

Indoor Gardening Tips

With the outdoor gardening season over, many gardeners still need to tend to houseplants and maybe even begin growing herbs indoors.  Begin by sowing seeds for parsley, oregano, sage, chives and basil in small clay pots. Once they have germinated, use growing lights, watering and mild fertilization to produce small crops of herbs.

Offset The Outside Gray With Indoor Color

Brighten up the indoors with Amaryllis, Christmas Cactus, Paper Whites and Poinsettias. Johnson Brothers grows the largest selection of Poinsettias in the southern Willamette Valley, so if you are looking for color that is the place to go.  With the heat on inside, remember to give plants extra moisture. You don’t want to lose them to drying out.