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Planters Almanac For December

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A staff report

Published: December 9, 2008

PLANTERS' ALMANAC

(December)

What to do this week

Take advantage of the cool weather to get some of your hard-labor projects done: dig a new bed (perhaps for roses?), or a pond, lay a paver path or relocate those old shrubs.

Plant roses now for a beautiful spring display. Prepare a good rose bed and buy roses grafted on Fortuniana or Dr. Huey rootstocks. Plant them at the same depth as they were in containers. Antique or old garden roses do not need to be grafted.

Watch for brown patch disease — Rhizoctonia blight — in your lawn. It's a fungus that appears during the cool months and causes patches that turn yellow and then reddish-brown, brown or straw-colored as the leaves start to die. Patches can grow to several feet and may look like rings of brown turf surrounding apparently healthy turf. Brown patch won't kill the grass, just the blades. Avoid fertilizing, watering or walking through areas of brown patch to avoid stimulating or spreading it. Treat with lawn disease control products such as Turfcide or Fertilome.

What to plant this week

Herbs and spices (from plants): chives, coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, oregano, parsley, sage, thyme

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