The Arizona backyard in December is a lovely place. The chilly morning climate makes the afternoon my favourite time to be within the backyard. Fall planting in September and October yields harvests within the Arizona backyard in December. Watch the climate studies rigorously and be ready to cowl frost-sensitive vegetation if there’s a freeze. The cool temperatures in December assist cool-season vegetation thrive.
“The gardening season formally begins on January 1st, and ends on December 31.” – Marie Huston
Nowhere is that this quote extra true than in Arizona. Whereas many components of the nation are dreaming of gardening and circling what they want to plant in seed catalogs, in Arizona we’re harvesting kilos of citrus and greens and planting seeds.
On this article, you’ll discover the important duties to assist your December vegetable, panorama, flower, and fruit backyard achieve success. I’ll additionally focus on frequent pests to be careful for and provides pointers for watering this month.
The low desert consists of areas under 3,500 toes in elevation, such because the Phoenix and Tucson metro areas. On the lookout for extra month-to-month guides, warmth suggestions, and frost safety? Begin with the Desert Gardening useful resource hub.
In the event you run into unfamiliar phrases whereas studying, go to my Gardening Glossary for clear and easy definitions.
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December YouTube Movies
Vegetable Gardening Duties for December
December brings a slower tempo to gardening in Arizona. Because the darkest month of the yr, the times are shorter, and what’s rising does so extra slowly. Mid-December by January is normally the coldest time, making it a quiet interval within the backyard. Hopefully, you’ve achieved most of your planting by now. This can be a nice time to shift your focus to harvesting and benefit from the fruits (and veggies!) of your labor.
If you need to study extra in regards to the rules of profitable desert gardening, my information, “Desert Gardening: Easy methods to Develop Greens in a Scorching, Dry Local weather,” could also be useful.
For a deeper dive into gardening matters, try my on-line and in-person gardening courses.
December Harvests
December is an excellent time to benefit from the harvest out of your backyard. Many cool-season crops are good for “lower and are available once more” harvesting. As an alternative of taking all the plant, you harvest the mature outer leaves and let the middle leaves develop. This method permits you to take pleasure in steady yields over weeks and even months. All through the season, you’ll have a gradual provide of recent lettuce, kale, spinach, and Swiss chard. Study extra about cut-and-come-again harvesting on this information. In case you are rising kale, my favourite approach to make use of it’s on this salad–the perfect kale salad you’ll ever make.
Tomatoes planted in July – September are producing. The cooler temperatures imply they take longer to ripen. As soon as temperatures drop under round 55°F (12°C), the plant could not set new fruit, however fruit on the plant will proceed to ripen.
Swiss chard is a staple in my backyard year-round, however the newly-planted tender Swiss chard within the December backyard is particularly scrumptious. Proceed to reap outer leaves all through the winter. Most years, lots of my Swiss chard vegetation will produce by the summer time as effectively. I wish to replant and start with recent vegetation within the fall.
Backyard-fresh peas are one in every of my household’s favourite backyard treats. Choose peas typically and younger to encourage manufacturing. Present a trellis for rising peas. For extra details about several types of peas to strive, learn this text.
Vegetable Planting in December
Plant succession plantings of the Brassica household, which embody cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower, kohlrabi, and kale, guarantee a continuous harvest. Study extra about succession planting on this information.
Begin seeds indoors for tomatoes and peppers this month. They are going to be able to plant by February or March. Learn this submit for extra details about the right way to begin seeds indoors. Here’s a hyperlink to my favourite seed-starting provides.
You’ll be able to plant many different greens, herbs, and annual flowers in December. For particular particulars on what to plant in Arizona’s low desert throughout December, try my planting guides or the weblog submit “What to Plant in December.”
To make your planning smoother, I’ve compiled all these planting lists into handy perpetual calendars so you may see all the things to plant every month and guides organized by crop. The calendars and guides have variations for greens, herbs & fruits, and one other one for flowers. All the guides and calendars are obtainable in my store. These assets are designed that will help you backyard with confidence right here within the low desert of Arizona.
Unsure what to plant this month? This Arizona Vegetable Planting Calendar makes it straightforward to remain on observe.
Vegetable Gardening Duties in December in Arizona
In the event you’re rising potatoes, it might be time to cowl them with an extra layer of straw or soil. Cowl them with one other thick layer when the leafy progress is 6”-12” (15-30 cm) excessive.
Feed your worms and harvest castings this month. To feed worms, take off the wooden chips. Put a 1-2 inch layer of meals down, after which place the meals scraps again on high. In the event you pull again the wooden chips and see that every one the meals and worms are gone, it is perhaps a great time to reap the castings. Study extra about in-bed vermicomposting on this information.
Start planning for February and March plantings: order seeds and determine which areas in your backyard to plant in (it’s best to rotate the place you plant your crops annually).
December is an ideal time to mirror in your gardening journey by maintaining a backyard journal. This may be so simple as scrolling by the gardening photographs in your telephone and asking your self a number of questions: What have been your successes? What classes did you study? What is going to you do once more? And what’s going to you keep away from subsequent time? Taking a second to jot down these ideas might help you have a good time your achievements and plan for an excellent higher backyard subsequent yr.
My December Backyard Journals
Twice a month, I ship my private backyard journal to members of “Rising within the Backyard Academy.” From the primary seedling to the final harvest, you may observe my gardening adventures in Arizona’s distinctive low desert. Entry the previous three years of backyard journals and month-to-month courses as a member.
Pests & Wildlife to Watch Out For This Month
Aphids and cabbage worms are the most typical pests this month. Monitor vegetation and search for useful bugs to reach. Learn to do away with cabbage worms on this information.
Container Gardening Duties
Replenish your containers when you haven’t already. When it’s cool, crops will typically develop faster in containers as a result of they warmth up extra. In the event you’re searching for spots to plant cool season flowers, containers are good!
Feed your containers this month. The harvested castings out of your in-bed vermicomposting bins are good for this. In the event you don’t have castings, you should utilize this fertilizer.
Flower Gardening Duties in Arizona in December
Flowers planted now will thrive till the warmth of April or Might. Get your favorites planted.
Water wildflowers if there isn’t any rain to maintain them rising.
Add trellis netting for tall stemmed lower flowers – the best solution to help a lot of flowers as an alternative of offering particular person help for each. Get extra particulars about the right way to use and set up trellis netting for lower flowers on this information.
Caring for Roses Throughout December
It’s okay to flippantly prune spent flowers and lifeless canes in your established roses in December. In January, you’ll give roses which have been within the floor for over a yr a great prune.
Plant container-grown roses this month. I get my roses from Heirloom Roses. Use Code GARDENAZ20 for 20% off any rose order by December 31, 2025.
Herb Gardening
Harvest and share herbs from the backyard this month.
Parsley grows effectively within the cooler climate of December. In the event you use plenty of parsley, think about succession planting it (planting each 3 weeks). Learn extra about the right way to develop parsley right here.
Garlic chives are one of many best herbs to develop in Arizona. Harvest younger stalks and use in eggs, marinades, and Asian dishes. Learn to develop garlic chives on this information.
In the event you’re searching for one other straightforward crop to develop, strive garlic. For detailed directions, try this submit on the right way to develop garlic.
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Fruit Timber and Citrus
Harvest and luxuriate in citrus in your Arizona backyard in December. Cooler temperatures trigger citrus fruits to vary colour, however the colour will not be all the time an indicator of sweetness. Fruit doesn’t sweeten as soon as picked. Verify for ripeness and desired sweetness by sampling the fruit.
Cowl younger or container-grown citrus if we get a freeze. Study extra about defending citrus throughout freezing temperatures on this information.
Don’t prune citrus this month.
Water citrus deeply as soon as this month.
Deciduous fruit timber like peach, pear, and plum are shedding their leaves. If all leaves don’t fall, strip leaves to encourage dormancy. Harvest fruit and clear up round fruit timber. Fallen fruit and leaves are inviting for pests.
Don’t prune till leaves have fallen.
When the scaffold is seen, prune deciduous fruit timber by February. Make cuts rigorously and don’t take away greater than 25 p.c of the tree.
December or January is an effective time to make use of a dormant oil spray, comparable to horticultural oil on fruit timber to assist forestall pests.
December in Arizona is an effective time to plant fruit timber. Search for varieties that require lower than 400 chill hours. Study extra on this fruit planting information.
Panorama Plant Duties Throughout December
December in Arizona could be difficult to plant panorama vegetation. Chilly soil, gentle freezes, and shorter days make it powerful for a lot of vegetation to get established. Nonetheless, it’s okay to plant cold-hardy shrubs throughout this time. These resilient vegetation can deal with the cooler circumstances and can settle in properly, able to thrive when hotter climate returns.
Plant cold-tolerant timber, bushes, and perennials if obligatory, however shield new vegetation from freezing temperatures.
Wait till February to plant frost-sensitive vegetation comparable to lantana and hibiscus.
In the event you’re desirous about planting your residing Christmas tree within the yard after the vacations, you should definitely examine its mature dimension first. Many Christmas tree varieties can develop wherever from 30 to over 100 toes tall! If that appears too massive to your house, think about selecting a residing shrub like rosemary as an alternative. Additionally, keep in mind to maintain your residing tree indoors for not more than two weeks to keep away from damaging the plant. This fashion, you’ll assist guarantee it stays wholesome and thrives as soon as it’s planted outdoors.
Save all of the leaves which are falling from Ash, Vitex, Elm, and different deciduous timber this month. In the event you planted a winter garden, the grass clippings mixed with fallen leaves are good for the compost pile. In the event you determine to not compost, bag leaves and allow them to decompose; they are going to be able to unfold on vegetation as leaf mulch by spring. Study the right way to compost on this article.
Pruning
Don’t prune frost-tender vegetation this month.
Prune lifeless branches out of cold-hardy timber and shrubs. December is an effective time to prune dormant woody timber and shrubs. See advantages under.
Advantages of pruning woody vegetation in cool climate:
Pruning in hotter months stimulates new progress; when the plant is dormant, progress will not be stimulated by pruning.
Pests that may invade pruning cuts are dormant in cooler climate.
As soon as leaves have dropped, the tree’s general form (scaffold) is less complicated to see. Recognizing crossed or broken branches is less complicated.
Wounds made by pruning in winter will heal shortly within the spring.
Watering Your Backyard and Panorama Throughout December
If there are winter rains – skip one watering for each ½ inch of rain. If there aren’t winter rains, plan on one deep irrigation if there hasn’t been rain for 60 days.
Crops will want much less water than they did a month in the past. Many annual vegetation should not rising actively and have minimal water wants. Watch out to not over-water this month. Crops in bloom will want extra water. The easiest way to see if vegetation want water is to examine the soil. I exploit my fingers or a moisture meter.
Containers: If one inch (3.5 cm) under the floor is dry, it’s time to water. Crops in containers will want much less water this month.
Backyard beds: If 2-3 inches (5-7 cm) under the floor is dry, it’s time to water. I typically water my backyard about as soon as per week throughout December.
Water timber and shrubs deeply not more than as soon as each 14-28 days, much less typically if we get heavy rain. Wateruseitwisely.com is a useful useful resource for panorama watering pointers.
Frost Safety within the Arizona Backyard in December
Defend from freezing temperatures (under 32°F / 0°C):
Get planting dates to your favourite crops with these visible planting guides for bulbs, greens, herbs, fruits, flowers & vines.
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