12/04/2025
December is the month to:
❄️ Pot up amaryllis bulbs for forcing into bloom this winter. Plant bulbs, one per pot, into pots that are slightly larger in diameter than the bulbs. Leave the top third of bulbs exposed above the soil line. Situate pots near a south-facing window in a room with temperatures around 70°F, and water when the top inch of soil feels dry to the touch.
❄️ Regularly check the condition of fruits and vegetables in storage. Remove any that are beginning to spoil. Discarding overripe and spoiled apples and pears is particularly important since they give off a natural growth regulator that hastens the ripening of other fruit as well as the sprouting of potatoes. Always store potatoes and onions separately from fruit.
❄️ Sort through leftover seed packets. Most seeds that were purchased fresh this year can be saved for at least another year, if stored properly (cool, dry, and dark). Seeds that should be kept no more than one year include sweet corn, onions, leeks, okra, parsley, and parsnips.
❄️ Check for perennials that may have heaved from the ground. Alternate freeze-thaw cycles during winter can cause plants, especially those newly planted this fall, to heave. Gently push the plants back in the ground and place coarse mulch, such as cut evergreen boughs, over the plants once the ground freezes again.
❄️ Inspect trees in the yard after storms. A common repair job is cutting off stubs left from broken branches—these stubs act as entry points for pests and diseases. The most important factor in removing a stub is to avoid a flush cut, i.e. cutting the stub flush against the trunk. Cut a stub back to, but not into, the branch collar—the swelling at the base of a branch where it attaches to the trunk. For complex or hazardous tree work, hire a licensed arborist.
❄️ Keep off frost-covered lawns as much as possible. Walking on frosted grass can damage the growing points, or crowns, of grass plants, resulting in bare spots in the lawn next spring.
❄️ Continue to stay vigilant for ticks when working outdoors. Deer ticks may be active any time temperatures are above freezing. Use tick repellents on clothing and do a thorough tick check afterwards.
❄️Clean and condition garden tools. Use a stiff brush to remove caked-on soil from metal surfaces of garden tools before washing them with soap and water. Let tools dry, then spray or wipe metal with mineral oil or beeswax. Wipe wooden handles with linseed oil, mineral oil, or other wood protectant.
❄️ Construct housing for backyard wildlife. Simple (and often free) plans for building birdhouses, bat boxes, and insect hotels from scavenged and/or purchased materials abound online.
Source: Jennifer Kujawski, Horticulturist, UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program Hort Notes 2025 Vol. 36:10 URI Cooperative Extension
