Annuals: Continue to water cool season annuals. Garden centers are stocked with poinsettias this time of year. Be sure to protect them from drafts from doors, windows and heat vents. If they are wrapped in foil, be sure to remove or puncture the foil to allow water to drain – they can easily drown if this is not done. Poinsettias are tropical plants native to Mexico, and cannot tolerate our winters if planted outside. It is best to throw them away when the season is over.
Turf: Relax! Enjoy the break from the heat and mowing.
Perennials: Most perennials have gone dormant for winter by now. Some exceptions are Lenten Rose, Japanese Tassal Ferns, Holly Ferns, Autumn Ferns, Thyme, Hardy Ice Plants, Heucheras, some daylilies, Cast Iron Plants, Sedums, Carex, Acorus Grass, some Dianthus, Creeping Raspberry, Ivy, and Wire Vine.
Roses: Do not fertilize roses this month. If ordering from a rose catalog, place your order before the end of the month to have them to plant in March.
Shrubs: Shrubs such as junipers, hollies, false hollies, and rosemary have been used as in seasonal decorations in wreaths, on mantles, and over doorways by southerners for years. Keep these cutting from drying out too fast by placing them away from heat vents and by using anti-transpirants, which are sold under names like Wilt Pruf© in garden centers. They coat the foliage with a thin, waxy layer that prohibits transpiration (loss of water) from leaves. Simply spray on the cuttings, and let dry before using them as decorations.
Trees: The first Friday in December is South Carolina’s Arbor Day. School children traditionally plant trees at school on this day to celebrate the beginning of optimum tree planting season. December through March is the best time in South Carolina to plant trees. Did you know that trees planted on the western side of a building can lower summer cooling costs? Trees contribute so much to our world. Trees are sources of jobs, food, shade, oxygen, building materials, rayon, ice cream (Yes, ice cream!), paper, rubber and wood products Trees increase property values, provide homes for wildlife and give kids a place to climb and swing. All this is in addition to adding beauty to our world! There are an abundance of good reasons to plant a tree.
