Your December Gardening Checklist

December on the allotment brings cold, short days and long nights. It can be harder to find the time and motivation to visit your plot, but it’s the perfect month to keep on top of winter jobs, prepare for spring, and enjoy the last of your harvests. Small, regular bursts of activity are far more effective than long, irregular sessions.

Even in winter, the allotment still needs attention. Dig over beds when the soil is neither frozen nor too wet, protect tender crops with straw or fleece, and keep on top of stored vegetables. A little effort now ensures a healthier, more productive plot in spring.

Soil Preparation & General Maintenance

Dig beds – If soil conditions allow, fork over vacant beds to improve structure and break down larger clods.

Compost & manure – Turn compost heaps and move manure around the plot to prepare for spring digging.

Protect tender crops – Cover celery and other sensitive vegetables with straw to prevent frost damage.

Avoid compacting soil – Use planks to walk on beds when the soil is wet.

Maintain equipment – Clean and store water barrels, pea sticks, and supports.

Vegetable Tasks

Indoor sowings – Grow Pea ‘Anubis’ on a bright windowsill; harvest shoots after three weeks, then a second crop will follow. Wild rocket (‘Dragon's Tongue’) can also be sown indoors for cut-and-come-again crops.

Mushrooms – Indoor kits, such as Yellow Oyster, are ideal for winter cropping and make great Christmas gifts.

Overwintering crops – Continue hoeing and maintaining onions, garlic, spring cabbage, and tall brassicas like Brussels sprouts, kale, and sprouting broccoli. Stake tall plants if necessary.

Broad beans – Make successional sowings in cold frames or greenhouses (‘Aquadulce Claudia’, ‘Luz de Otono’, or container-friendly ‘The Sutton’).

Exhibition onions – Start seeds in a heated propagator for long-season varieties.

Protect brassicas – Ensure netting is in place to guard against pigeons.

Fruit Tasks

Plant bare-root fruit bushes – As long as the ground isn’t frozen or waterlogged, plant bare-root strawberries, plum, and damson trees. Mulch well with rotted manure.

Rhubarb – Divide large clumps and replant or share with friends and fellow plot holders.

Winter pruning – Prune apples and pears to remove dead or crossing branches. Avoid pruning plums to reduce silver leaf disease risk.

Blackcurrants – Prune one-third of older wood at the base to maintain cropping.

Autumn-fruiting raspberries – Cut back to ground level.

Fruit cages – Check or install cages to protect your fruit from birds and pests.

Greenhouse & Polytunnel

Vent carefully – On sunny days, ventilate greenhouses and polytunnels to prevent excess moisture without causing sudden temperature drops.

Overwintering plants – Check regularly and remove dead material to prevent fungal problems.

Clean structures – Thoroughly clean greenhouses, cold frames, and polytunnels with warm, soapy water and disinfectant.

Grapes – Prune fruiting laterals, leaving two to three buds on the main rod.

Indoor sowings – Sow hardy peas and maintain winter salads like spinach, mizuna, and lamb’s lettuce under cloches or frames.

Flower Tasks

Stored tubers & corms – Inspect dahlias, gladioli, and similar for rot or rodent damage. Remove affected ones.

Winter bedding – Dead-head to prolong flowering.

Spring bulbs – Keep well weeded where shoots are already emerging.

Hardwood cuttings – Propagate woody perennials like roses and rosemary. Cut a finger-length stem below a pair of buds and bury up to two-thirds of its height in a pot.

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Pest & Disease Watch

Slugs & snails – Continue monitoring damp areas, as autumn and early winter can still bring activity.

Cabbage white butterflies & caterpillars – Inspect brassicas regularly and net if necessary.

Allium pests – Leek moth and onion fly may still be active in mild spells; check leaves and mulch.

Root crops – Monitor stored potatoes, carrots, and onions for rot; remove affected items promptly.

Fungal issues – Powdery mildew, blight, and leaf spot may persist in mild conditions; remove infected foliage and dispose of it.

Rodents – Keep an eye on stored crops, compost heaps, and greenhouse areas for signs of mice or rats, especially when fresh vegetables are stored.

Planning Ahead

Seed orders – Place orders for the coming year to secure your preferred varieties.

Plot planning – Mark out sheds, compost bins, long-term crops like asparagus, and fruit trees.

Tool maintenance – Sharpen and oil secateurs and other tools to prevent rust.

Compost management – Turn heaps regularly to encourage decomposition and deter rodents.

Think About Wildlife

Feed the birds – Set up feeders and provide fresh water to help birds survive the cold winter months. Nuts, seeds, and suet are excellent options.

Provide shelter – Create leaf piles, log piles, and bug hotels to offer habitats for hedgehogs, insects, and other beneficial wildlife.

Leave seedheads – Keep seedheads from sunflowers, teasels, and ornamental grasses to feed birds and provide shelter.

Protect overwintering insects – Avoid clearing all foliage; many insects spend winter in stems, leaves, and ground cover.

Check ponds – If you have a wildlife pond, ensure some open water remains for birds, and remove excessive ice carefully.

Final Thoughts

December may feel quiet on the allotment, but it’s a key month for preparation, indoor sowings, and late harvests. Protect tender crops, tend to stored produce, and plan your plot layout. Even small bursts of activity will make all the difference in spring. Wrap up warm, enjoy a hot drink, and take satisfaction in knowing your allotment is winter-ready.

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