December Garden Solutions

For upcoming frost, plants that don’t enter dormancy may need protection. Typically, the younger plants need the most protection, as their leaves may be too few to adequately protect the plant. Different plants have different frost tolerances, and speaking with our experts in the store can give you temperature guidelines.

Frost cloth needs to be a material that will breathe, let in sunlight, and will dry out quickly. For these reasons, plastic tarps, towels and bed sheets are not good protection. For more information about frost cloth and how to apply it, read on: Cold Sensitive Plants? Use Frost Cloth This Winter.

If frost damage does occur, our gurus have the help you need: The Dos and Don'ts After A Freeze.

When the rains become regular, that's the time to turn irrigation off for the season. However, if it doesn’t rain for a week, it's a good idea to check the soil to see if it needs water; be prepared to turn the irrigation on as needed. Moisture meters are very useful for this task. This is especially true for newer plants with immature root zones, and for citrus. Dry soil is cold soil, which can aggravate freeze damage.

Bareroot roses, fruit trees and more will be arriving soon and we are often asked how to best plant them. Work the soil for planting when it is moist, but not soggy. Soggy soil is extra heavy, making for hard work, and the soil structure may be damaged. Moist, not soaked, soil is ideal for working.

Our guide on planting will help get your bareroots off to the best start possible. It is okay to leave the plants in their pulp pots for a while, but the soil in the pots must be closely monitored to make sure it doesn’t dry out. Read on for more information about planting dimensions, fertilizing and soil amendments: Planting Pulp Pots.