December monthly gardening activities

Explore our monthly activities to do in the garden with your children and young people in December.

1. If you have apples, pears, quinces, gooseberries, red or white currants in your school garden, it’s time to prune them.
2. In December and January, your autumn raspberries will have finished fruiting and growing for the year, so it’s time to cut them back to ground level. The canes will regrow in the spring.
3. There are some really robust vegetables that can put up with British winters; it’s time to harvest remaining root crops such as leeks, parsnips, kale, winter cabbage and sprouts.
4. December is the month to buy, build and repair compost bins or heaps. Build them now ready for the new growing season.
5. Collecting rainwater to water your plants can help reduce risk of flooding – you can do this by installing a water butt in your growing space. They are also a good way to teach children and young people about sustainability.
6. Plant new trees, fruit trees, fruit bushes and hedges. It is best to plant on warmer days, so if your ground is waterlogged or frozen, wait until the soil is slightly drier and the temperature has come up a little before planting.
7. Hardwood cuttings provide an easy and reliable method of propagating a range of woody plants such as willow, dogwoods and soft fruit. They are a great way to increase the stock of plants in your green space, and perhaps even share with the community.
8. Build log piles and keep adding more to your leaf compost to encourage wildlife to cosy down during the colder months.  
9. Insulate outdoor taps and prevent ponds from freezing.
10. Reduce watering of houseplants. When you water them, do it with room temperature water.

Upcoming monthly gardening activities

January	February	Full calendar
Make your growing plans and purchase seeds. Read more	Get ready to chit your potatoes and sow sweet peas. Read more	Take a look at all of our monthly gardening activities. Explore now