The Holidays are here and your garden is probably the last thing on your mind right now. December is a great time for busy gardeners to get some rest! However, if you do feel so inclined to work in the garden, below are some helpful gardening tips for December:

• Water at least once this month. Yes, this is said a lot, but if we don’t get at least an inch of rainfall or a foot of snow, it’s time to drag out the hose and give those plants a drink.
• If we do a get a lot of snow and the weight of it is threatening to break the branches off your trees and shrubs, make sure to gently brush it off. Although, if it’s just a light layer, you can go ahead and leave the snow on to act as insulation.
• Strong winter winds can leave some of your trees with broken and hanging branches. Be sure to cut these off as soon as possible in order to avoid further damage.
• Feed the birds! Food sources are quite limited in the winter and these natural garden pest controllers need some extra calories.

Have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

I hope these gardening tips for December help you check some things off your to-do list. For additional Northern Nevada planting resources, be sure to check out some of our local nurseries. One of my favorites is Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City.

P.S. Did you miss November’s gardening tips? Click here to get caught up.

Fall is slowly making it’s presence know with cooler evening temperatures, shorter days, and the beginnings of fall color. Autumn is a great time to do some cleanup in your garden and get it ready for spring. Below you can find some helpful gardening tips for October.

Last of the Harvest

Your garden is probably starting to shows signs of the end of it’s annual life, but hopefully you’ve had a bountiful harvest this season! If the hard shell develops enough on your pumpkins and winter squashes you should be able to store them for several months in a cool dark place. Green tomatoes can be ripened in a cardboard box or paper bag, so make sure to harvest them all before the first freeze.

Gardening Tips for October: Fall Planting

Continue planting your spring flowering bulbs until the ground freezes. Divide your perennials if you haven’t done so already, and plant any new shrubs/trees while the ground is still soft. Also make sure to keep watering any new plants until the ground freezes.

Tucking in for Winter

Fall is also the perfect time to mulch. Surround your plants with 2-3 inches of mulch/soil conditioner to protect your plants from the cold, help retain moisture, and prevent new weeds from sprouting. Just make sure you don’t actually cover any of your plants and block them from air and sunshine—this could cause them to rot. To learn more about the importance of mulch in the garden, check out this video from Moana Nursery in Reno:

I hope these gardening tips for October help you check some things off your to-do list. For additional Northern Nevada planting resources, be sure to check out some of our local nurseries. One of my favorites is Greenhouse Garden Center in Carson City.

P.S. Did you miss September’s gardening tips? If so, you can click here to get caught up!