December Gardening Tips for the Southwest
Last updated: January 31, 2021
Should you continue to water your lawn as winter approaches this month?
Does living in a higher elevation affect how often you should water landscape plantings?
The holiday season is here, but it’s not time to put your garden tools away. Here is a list of gardening tips for the month of December for the Southwest Region on the U.S. to help find the answers to your gardening questions.
December Gardening Tips for the Southwest Region of the U.S.
Landscaping Tips
- The Old Farmer’s Almanac offers a great tip for this month. If you would like to make any structural improvements to your garden or design a new landscape, this is the month to do it.
- When the weather is dry make sure to water your lawn, small trees and shrubs.
Fruit and Vegetable Tips
- Make sure to plant your frost-tolerant vegetables like broccoli, Brussels Sprouts, cabbage, carrots, kale, leeks, radishes and spinach. For a more comprehensive list, please see 12 Frost Tolerant Vegetables.
- According to Organic Gardening, it is time to clean up your fruit trees. Pick up any diseased or fallen fruit. This will help prevent pest and disease problems later. As long as the fruit isn’t diseased, add it to the compost pile.
Perennial/Annual Tips
- After the first few freezes, add a layer of mulch to protect your perennials.
- Add some pops of color to your flower gardening by using the Better Homes and Gardens recommendation to plant pansies and violas, snapdragons and sweet alyssums.
General Gardening Tips
- If you have noticed weeds popping up this month, make sure to get back out into the garden and pull them.
- Another tip by Better Homes and Gardens is, when living in higher elevations, make sure to deeply water any landscape plantings in your yard once a month. At lower elevations you will want to water about once or twice a month.
Bonus Tip
Need help keeping your potted Christmas tree alive? Please read, How to Keep A Potted Christmas Tree Alive.
Summary
There are still a number of things to get done in your garden as winter approaches. With these December gardening tips for the Southwest Region of the United States, you will be well on your way to helping your garden to thrive.
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