Urgent jobs in the garden for December

Nov 19, 2022 | Gardening tips, Monthly planting guides and jobs

  • Check fruit fly lures for fruit flies. These are the males. If present, paint eco-naturalure bait onto branches or onto a piece of wood and place in tree. This kills both male and female fruit flies.
  • Net your fruit trees with fine net, tying tightly at the base to prevent fruit fly entry and to protect from birds.
  • Check lures for codling moth in apples, pears and quinces. Every 2 weeks change and burn cardboard or hessian traps that have been placed around tree trunks.
  • Spray citrus to prevent gall wasp attack with Kaolin clay (also marketed as ‘Overhaul’) fortnightly, until the end of second week in December. Cover the entire tree.
  • Check pear and cherry trees for pear slug and treat with ash thrown onto damp leaves.
  • Harvest garlic and hang to dry with leaves attached as these form the skins on the garlic heads.
  • Spray summer vegetables with seaweed solution.
  • Water, weed and mulch all beds to keep maximum moisture in the soil.
  • Spray eggplant fruit with Dipel to prevent caterpillar infestation.
  • Prepare simple shade structures for days of very high temperatures.
  • Fill wicking beds weekly, but daily in extreme heat.

Note: blossom end rot on summer vegies is caused by under watering.

Written by Robin Gale-Baker