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Gardening in the UK?→ December’s almanac for the British climate
ALMANAC · ITALIAN CLIMATE

The garden in December — Italy

December is a month for looking after what you've got. Outside there's little to do: protect, check, and prune a few dormant trees. Indoors the festive plants arrive — and many of them die from too much attention in their first fortnight.

It's also a good time to plan. The bare garden shows clearly where you need structure, evergreens or a winter-flowering shrub.

Italy, from the Po valley and pre-Alps to the south and islands. Frost and snow are possible in the north and inland; on the central and southern coasts winter stays mild and planting carries on. In the mountains and inland valleys, the coldest conditions arrive 2–4 weeks earlier and last longer.

AT A GLANCE

Spotlight: poinsettia, cyclamen and amaryllis

Poinsettias, cyclamen, amaryllis and Christmas cactus come from warm, humid greenhouses, and nearly all their problems begin on the way home. Carry them home wrapped, don't leave them in a cold car, and keep them away from draughty spots by the door.

Poinsettia wants steady warmth (16–22°C), plenty of light and water only when the surface of the compost is dry: cold and soggy roots are what cause sudden leaf drop. Cyclamen is the opposite: it lasts longest in a cool, bright room at around 12–15°C, watered from the saucer without wetting the crown. Amaryllis wants a bright window and should be turned every few days so the stem grows straight. Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera) hates being moved while it's in bud.

After the holidays, cyclamen and amaryllis can be kept for next year with the right summer care. Getting a poinsettia to colour up again is possible but demanding, as it needs weeks of strictly long nights in autumn; treating it as a cut flower that lasts for months is perfectly fine.

PoinsettiaHardy cyclamenAmaryllisChristmas cactus Watering plants in pots ›

In your area

NORTH

Check protection after snow and frost; water sheltered plants very sparingly. Prune only dormant apples and pears.

CENTRAL

Bare-root trees can still be planted on frost-free days. Harvest the last olives and the citrus.

SOUTH AND ISLANDS

Citrus and winter vegetable harvest. You can still plant almost anything: trees, shrubs, bulbs. Check citrus for scale insects.

Jobs this month

Festive plants

Plants bought for Christmas are raised in warm, humid greenhouses. The shock of a cold car or a draughty hallway causes almost all the leaf and bud drop that follows.

Keep poinsettia in a warm, bright room away from draughts, and water only when the surface is dry. Watering plants in pots › Poinsettia
Don't move Schlumbergera (Christmas cactus) while it's in bud. Christmas cactus
Support the amaryllis stem and turn the pot often. Staking & supporting plants › Amaryllis
Keep cyclamen cool and bright: in a warm room it flowers for far less time. Hardy cyclamen

Winter checks

A quick walk round after storms and cold snaps catches problems early.

Wrap potted olives, bay and bottlebrush during cold spells; in the north, move them in if a hard frost is forecast. Protecting plants from frost › OliveBayBottlebrush
Check stored dahlia and calla tubers and throw out any that have gone soft. Overwintering tender plants › DahliaArum lily
Check tree ties and stakes after strong winds. Staking & supporting plants ›
Under cover, water citrus, oleanders and bougainvillea very sparingly. Overwintering tender plants › KumquatOleanderBougainvillea

Dormant pruning

Deciduous trees are dormant: cuts heal well and the framework is easy to read.

Prune apples and pears. Pruning an apple or pear tree › Crab applePear
Take hardwood cuttings of elder, dogwood and currants. Hardwood cuttings › ElderDogwoodFlowering currant
Don't prune plums, cherries or maples now (maples bleed sap from cuts in late winter). Ornamental cherryJapanese maple

Planning

The winter garden reveals its gaps. Notes and photos taken now are worth more than any catalogue in January.

Photograph the garden from the house windows to see where winter interest is missing.
Order seeds and plan your vegetable rotation.
Consider plants with winter interest: bergenia, nandina, hellebores, pieris, viburnums. BergeniaHeavenly bambooHelleborePieris

Sow and plant

Sow
  • Onions from seed in warmth at the end of the month
  • In the south: broad beans, peas and spinach direct in the ground
Plant out
  • Bare-root trees and hedges (ground not frozen)
  • Tulips (last chance in the north; still possible in the south)
  • Amaryllis indoors

Watch out for

Frost and snow damageThe weight of snow splits evergreens; frozen pots kill roots. Shake off snow and protect your pots.Bud drop on festive plantsCaused by draughts, cold or being moved.Overwatering indoorsThe number one winter killer of houseplants.

Questions

How do I make a poinsettia last?

Keep it in a warm, bright room at a steady temperature, away from draughts and radiators, and water only when the surface of the compost is dry. If it drops its leaves, cold or overwatering is almost always to blame.

Can I prune in December?

Yes for apples, pears, most deciduous shrubs and wisteria. Avoid plums and cherries (disease risk) and maples and birches (they bleed sap). Olives are pruned in late winter.

Do I need to water the garden in winter?

Rarely. Only pots under cover or under the eaves, where rain doesn't reach, and evergreens in pots during dry, windy spells.