December Gardening Tips for the Southeast Region
Last updated: October 18, 2016
Is December a good month to plant bare-root trees?
Which vegetables are cool-season?
Winter has arrived, but for our friends in the Southeastern Region of the United States there is still a lot to get done. Today, we are covering tips for gardening this month that will help you prepare and take care of your landscape, fruits, vegetables, perennials and annuals.
Southeast Region’s December Gardening Tips
Landscaping Tips
- All this month, plant your bare-rooted trees according to Organic Gardening. It is also a really great time to transplant any shrubs.
- If you are planting any new trees or transplanting shrubs this month, make sure you install aeration tubes. Rootwell Products Inc. provides Rootwell Pro318 aeration tubes that are scientifically designed to increase root growth and have been proved to assist in above ground growth.
- According to Better Homes and Gardens here are some top shrub picks for your Southern Region: flowering quince, spirea, mock orange, and hydrangeas.
Fruit and Vegetable Tips
- Go ahead and plant your citrus, fruit, and nut trees this month.
- The Old Farmer’s Almanac recommends in the southern areas, you can still plant your cool-season vegetables and herbs. You can find some great examples of cool-season vegetables in our article, 12 Frost Tolerant Vegetables to Plant in Early Spring and great examples of cool-season herbs in our article 3 Cool Weather Herbs to Plant in Your Backyard.
Perennial and Annual Tips
- Get your tulips in the ground before mid-month.
- December is a great month to plant your spring-flowering bulbs. They will add that perfect pop of color to your winter garden. Learn how to plant spring-flower bulbs at Backyard Gardening Tips: How to Plant Spring Flowering Bulbs.
General Gardening Tips
- In the same article by Better Homes and Gardens mentioned above, they offer a great tip that you don’t want to miss. They recommend that if a frost is on its way, to make sure you water your plants thoroughly because well-watered plants do better with frost.
- About mid-month it will be time to start your “fall” clean up. Make sure to hit everything on your fall clean up list by checking out, Backyard Gardening: Your Fall Clean Up Guide.
Over to You
What is on the top of your list for gardening this month? Please let us know in the comment section below.
Are you interested in starting to planning your spring garden? Please see our article, 4 Tips When Planning Your Spring Garden.
