Amaryllis at the Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum
North Florida: Average temperature: High 65 Low 43
Average rainfall: 2.76 inches
Central Florida: Average temperature: High 72 Low 51
Average rainfall: 2.44 inches
South Florida: Average temperature: High 78 Low 62
Average rainfall: 2.56 inches
Winter arrives on December 21st .
Average first frost date: December 18th .
What to Plant
Vegetables: Beet, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, Chinese cabbage, collard, endive, kale, kohlrabi, lettuce, mustard, onion, pea, radicchio, radish, rhubarb, rutabaga, spinach, Swiss chard and turnip.
Flowers: Ageratum, alyssum, baby's breath, black-eyed Susan, bush daisy, calendula, California poppy, camellia. candytuft, carnation, cat's whiskers, Christmas cactus, chrysanthemum, cleome, cornflower, cyclamen, delphinium, dianthus, dusty miller, firespike, foxglove, gaillardia, geranium, gloxinia. goldenrod, heliotrope, hollyhocks, Iceland poppy, impatiens, Johnny-jump ups, larkspur, lobelia, ornamental cabbage & kale, pansy, petunia, phlox, salvia, shasta daisy, snapdragon, stock, sweet pea, verbena, viola and wax begonias.
Herbs: anise, arugula, basil, borage, chive, cardamon, chervil, cilantro, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, ginger, lavender, lemon balm, lovage, Mexican tarragon, mint, nasturtium, oregano, parsley, rosemary, sage, sweet marjoram, thyme and watercress.
Bulbs: African iris, amaryllis, anemone, bulbine, crinum, day lily, rain lily, ranunculus, society garlic, spider lily and narcissus; refrigerated Dutch iris, tulips, daffodils, hyacinths and similar bulbs needing a cold treatment before flowering.
Lawn care
Walk yards on a weekly basis. Look for disease and insect damage.
Water restrictions for most counties throughout Florida are in place.
Cooler temperatures mean that irrigation 1x a week is all turfgrass and landscapes need.
If temperatures average 70 degrees, turf will only need 1 inch of water every ten to fourteen days.
Feeding time is over but iron or minor nutrients can be applied to keep the lawn green.
If Brown or Large Patch fungus is affecting St. Augustine & zoysia lawns, allow area to dry out and control future outbreaks with a fungicide.
If lawn has large weedy areas; remove and add new sod or plugs.
Use spot weed control techniques for small patches of weeds.
Mowing can be reduced to every other week in most landscapes.
Mow the lawn at the normal height to continue a uniform look and control weeds.
Lawn insects are less active at this time and insecticides may not be needed.
Zoysia lawns often turn brown with cooler temperatures. This is normal.
Keep lawn mower blades sharp and at their year-round height, mow as needed.
Ryegrass seed can be sown now.
Clean and sharpen power and garden equipment before winter storage.
Rake fallen leaves from lawns and add to the compost pile.
Fruit and vegetable gardening
Helene and Milton above average rainfall totals caused early decline of many crops; remove and replant.
Be ready to have frost blankets on hand before a freeze is announced.
Warm season planting time is over, replant with cool season vegetables.
Small but successive plantings guarantee continual harvests.
It is too late for new tomatoes, peppers & eggplants, replant in March.
Continue herb plantings in ground or in containers; they love the cool weather.
Harvest herbs frequently to encourage fresh growth; preserve or share extras.
If caterpillars and mites have been heavy feeders; control with natural sprays.
Start seeds of the cool season crops as needed to have transplants available.
Select vining crops to trellis and obtain the most from garden plots.
Gardeners with limited space can grow their favorite vegetables in large containers.
Add more garden soil to containers and raised beds, no need to remove older soil.
Feed vegetable gardens every 3 to 4 weeks with composted manure or a general fertilizer.
Feed container plantings every other week or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.
Feeding time is over for all fruiting trees, shrubs and vines, feed again in March.
December is good time to taste-test citrus varieties to find out what you would like to grow. X
Observe watering rules. 1 inch of water a week is all that your lawns and landscapes need.
Plantings need less water during the cool weather; water when the surface soil begins to dry.
Add new cold tolerant fruits to the landscape; delay tropical fruit plantings until spring.
Delay deciduous fruit tree prunings until next month, citrus pruning until mid-February.
Peach trees may start flowering but don’t worry there are plenty of buds for normal fruit set.
Keep frost blankets handy to protect cold sensitive crops from frosts and freezes.
Irrigate a day or two before a freeze, but not during a freeze.
Landscape
If temperatures average 80 degrees or more, hand water containers 2x a week.
Do not commit ‘crape murder.’ Crapemyrtles do not need to be hacked back.
Crapemyrtles need to only have spent blooms trimmed, limbs growing skewed near other limbs, or if smaller than your pinkie. Trim or rub off suckers.
Incorporate organic matter with older annual beds and sandy soils to encourage plant vigor.
Add holiday poinsettias to the landscape in their pots to easily remove during extreme cold.
Fertilize annual flowers monthly or use a slow release fertilizer as labeled.
Apply a slow-release fertilizer to container plantings for winter feeding.
Winter is a stress free time to add hardy trees, shrubs and ground covers to the landscape.
Do not prune azaleas, camellias, or hydrangeas until after Spring blooms decline.
Camellias bloom throughout winter; select and plant your favorite colors
Pruning time is over for most plants; out of bounds shoots and suckers can be removed as needed.
Feeding time is over for all trees, shrubs and vines.
Established trees and shrubs can often go several weeks without irrigation.
Add mulch to keep 3” to 4” levels. Keep mulch away from the base of plants and trees.
Hurry to plant wildflower gardens to have blooms for spring.
Control winter seasonal weeds by hand-pulling or correct herbicide.
Use the cooler weather to transplant trees and shrubs, delay transplanting palms until Spring.
Check and adjust supports holding trees and palms in an upright position as needed.
Old soil from containers can be tilled into established gardens
Add wood chips from tree removal to compost piles or use them as a light mulch.
Turn compost piles at least monthly to speed the process.
Divide and replant perennials.
Encourage wildlife by adding a bird feeder and water feature to landscape.
Repair and repaint bird houses, landscape furniture and fences.
Frosts or freezes could arrive at any time; be ready to protect your cold sensitive plants with frost blankets and/or incandescent light bulbs, old-fashioned Christmas lights, not LED lights.
Foliage & house plant care
Obtain your poinsettias early to enjoy a full season of color.
Give holiday plants a cool bright location away from air vents.
Don’t be surprised if new Christmas cactus drop their buds; they will bloom better next year.
Over-watering Christmas & holiday cactus can cause them to rot; wait until the surface dries.
Start paper white narcissus and amaryllis bulbs for gifts and winter blooms.
Replace declining foliage plants with new greenery.
Move cold sensitive plants from pool enclosures and patios to a warmer location.
Remove yellow leaves from plants affected by cold but do not cut back till Spring.
Check for water needs frequently; thoroughly moisten when the surface soil begins to dry.
Wash foliage with a mild soap solution to remove dust and control pests.
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