December in the garden and the nursery:

What to do in the Garden:
- Water deeply, feed generously and mulch to stop the garden from drying out
- House plants can dry out with surprising speed so be prepared to water them daily.
- Apply a weak liquid fertilizer at least once weekly, or use Ozmocote
- More humid conditions can be reached by standing plants in a large saucer filled with stones and topped up with water (please note: pots should not sit in the water)
- Take houseplants out into the rain to wash off dust and debris from the leaves
- Foliar feed as many plants, shrubs, trees and vegetables as possible by spraying the leaves with a well-diluted seaweed concentrate, to help strengthen them and to supply essential trace elements.
- Lift bulbs such as hyacinths and tulips to replant in March or April.
- Hand-pollinate pumpkins by breaking off the stalk of the male flower and rubbing it inside the female flower.
- Look out for pear and cherry slug - dust with ashes, sand or use Dipel or Success bacterial spray
- Cut spent broadbeans down to ground level, leaving the roots in the soil to add nitrogen and organic matter.
- Plants, good quality garden tools and pruning implements make great Christmas presents too!

Sow (from seed): sunflowers, herbs, beans, capsicum, carrots, celery, cucumbers, eggplant, leeks, lettuce, onions, parsley, parsnips, peas, pumpkin, radish, silverbeet, spinach, sweet corn, tomatoes and zucchini

Plant (from seedling): pumpkin, squash, cucumber, sweetcorn