Gardening Tips for December

Many of us do more shopping and planning for our gardens during the winter months than actual gardening but that doesn't mean there's nothing to do. In the warmer zones, December is the start of pleasant weather and a chance to enjoy planting cool season vegetables and flowers that don't tolerate your summers. Northern gardeners should use this period without leaves to scout for egg masses and other signs of trouble on trees and shrubs. Here are some more regional gardening tips for the beginning of winter.

In General

 Keep watering your holiday plants and give them plenty of light.  Check houseplants and any plants you brought indoors for the winter, for insects that may have hitched a ride. With the heat on, they can multiply quickly.  Also check any bulbs, corms, tubers and bare root plants for dessication or rot.  Start eating those stored vegetables and think about planting more winter squash next year.  Feed the birds.  Be prepared for sudden swings in temperature and protect tender plants with row covers, newspaper or blankets.  Prepare your planting beds now, with compost and manure, for planting in early spring. [Video: Adding Compost to a Garden Bed.]  You should still be able to plant trees and shrubs.  Start pruning your wisteria by removing the longer canes.

In Celebration of Alabama’s 200th birthday, we encourage everyone to plant trees or plants that are from our native area! Native Plants for Alabama

Common Name Family Genus

Acalypha gracilens Slender Three Seed Mercury; EUPHORBIACEAE Short Stalk Copperleaf Acalypha Common Three Seed EUPHORBIACEAE rhomboidea Mercury; Common Copperleaf; Rhombic Copperleaf

Acer leucoderme Chalk Maple; Pale Maple ACERACEAE Acer negundo Box Elder; Ash Leaf Maple ACERACEAE Acer rubrum var. Drummond's Maple; Swamp ACERACEAE drummondii Red Maple Acer rubrum var. Red Maple ACERACEAE rubrum Acer saccharum Sugar Maple ACERACEAE Acmella repens Creeping Spotflower; ASTERACEAE Opposite Leaf Spotflower Actaea racemosa Common Black Cohosh; Early RANUNCULACEAE Black Cohosh; Black Bugbane Adiantum capillus- Southern Maidenhair Fern; PTERIDACEAE veneris Venus' Hair Fern Adiantum pedatum Northern Maidenhair Fern PTERIDACEAE Common Maidenhair Fern; American Maidenhair Aesculus parviflora Bottlebrush Buckeye HIPPOCASTANACEAE Aesculus pavia Red Buckeye HIPPOCASTANACEAE Agalinis decemloba Ten Lobe False Foxglove OROBANCHACEAE Agalinis purpurea Purple False Foxglove; Large OROBANCHACEAE Purple Gerardia Agalinis tenuifolia Slender Leaf False Foxglove OROBANCHACEAE var. tenuifolia Ageratina altissima Common White Snakeroot; ASTERACEAE Common Milk Poison Ageratina aromatica Lesser Snakeroot; Small Leaf ASTERACEAE White Snakeroot; Wild Hoarhound Agrimonia Low Agrimony; Small Fruit ROSACEAE microcarpa Groovebur; Small Fruit Agrimony Agrimonia rostellata Woodland Agrimony; Beaked ROSACEAE Agrimony; Beaked Groovebur Agrostis elliottiana Elliott's Bentgrass; Southern POACEAE Bentgrass; Elliott's Bent Agrostis perennans Autumn Bentgrass; Upland POACEAE Bent; Autumn Bent Ajuga reptans Carpet Bugle; Bugleweed; Blue LAMIACEAE Bugle Albizia julibrissin Silktree; Mimosa FABACEAE Alisma American Water Plantain; ALISMATACEAE subcordatum Southern Water Plantain