December Gardening in Southern California can be challenging, not as challenging as in other parts of country but if nothing else, sometimes confusing. This year December has come in with a howl! The cold winds are whipping around as I write and unfortunately a couple of wild fires have broken out. Santa Ana winds don’t just save themselves for October.
One of the first things you need to do from your December Gardening list is to check your irrigation timer. If it is still on your summer schedule (aside from being off for a little rain) the heat is not long behind us and you may have forgotten that it is time to cut back on the water.
There are a couple of things to take into consideration.
- How often are you watering? You likely only need a few days per week but don’t shock your plants and rush from seven days a week to one. Think about graduating your days per week a bit. If you are deep soaking – cycle watering you can leave the amount of time you are watering and cut back on the days. If you are doing short spurts – think about reading up on cycle watering and change you schedule.
- What time of the day are you watering. In the summer the earlier the better, but in the winter you have a shorter window. You don’t want to water too early or too late. Too early or too late can equal ice or freezing your plants. Be sure not to water after sundown. I like to water between the hours of 9 am and 2:30 or 3:00 pm.
Now on to more December Gardening chores. Take a look at this December Gardening list, and give yourself some time to enjoy your gardening. Plan it out around the crazy holiday things you have to do. Gardening can relax you, and give you some grounding.
If you are looking to create a new garden or refresh your existing garden, think about collaborating with a designer. I can help you create the garden of your dreams! Give me a call at 661-917-3521 or visit my website and contact me there.
