December Allotment Tips
December is one of the quietest months on the allotment, but there’s still plenty to keep you busy. It’s the perfect time to enjoy winter harvests, give your plot a tidy-up and prepare for a fresh start in the New Year.
❄️ Here are our top tips for December :
- 🧰 Clean, sharpen and oil your tools so they’re ready for the growing season ahead.
- 🐭 Check sheds, greenhouses and outbuildings for signs of mice or other vermin and protect stored seeds and produce.
- 🥕 Harvest winter vegetables regularly while they’re at their best.
- 🌱 Plant hardy crops where conditions allow, including garlic and broad beans.
- ♻️ Add compost or well-rotted manure to empty beds to improve soil over winter.
- ❄️ Protect tender plants with fleece or cloches during frosty weather.
- 📋 Take time to plan next year’s crop rotation and decide what you’d like to grow.
- 🌿 Grow herbs indoors on a sunny windowsill for fresh flavour throughout winter.
🌿 Jobs for December
December is all about maintaining your allotment, enjoying winter harvests and getting everything ready for spring.
This month’s key jobs include:
- Harvest winter vegetables such as leeks, parsnips and hardy salad leaves.
- Clean, sharpen and maintain garden tools.
- Check sheds, greenhouses and storage areas for vermin.
- Add compost or manure to empty beds if the ground isn’t frozen.
- Protect vulnerable crops during periods of frost or snow.
- Plant garlic and broad beans in mild weather.
- Tidy paths, beds and borders ready for the new growing season.
- Turn your compost heap if conditions allow.
- Organise seeds, labels and gardening supplies.
- Plan next year’s planting schedule while the garden is quieter.
🌱 What to Sow in December
Although December is a slower month for sowing, there are still a few hardy crops that can be planted to give you a head start next year.
Sow outdoors (weather permitting)
- Broad beans
- Garlic
Grow under cover or indoors
- Winter salad leaves
- Herbs on a sunny windowsill
Plant out
- Dormant bare-root fruit trees
Winter jobs
- Clean and maintain tools and equipment.
- Check sheds and outbuildings for pests or vermin.
- Harvest winter vegetables as needed.
- Plan next year’s crops and prepare your allotment for spring.
December is the perfect time to slow down and enjoy everything your allotment has provided throughout the year. A little winter maintenance, careful planning and a handful of hardy plantings now will give you a fantastic head start when spring finally arrives.