Things to do in your garden in December.
Taken from the Ontario Master Gardener Calendar
by John Hethrington, Master Gardener Emeritus
Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario
Please contact John for more information!
January Garden Tips: Things to do in, or for your garden in January 2026 Welcome to the new gardening year. There’s lots to do for your garden, even in winter!
- Inspect house plants for white flies, spider mites and aphids. Apply insecticidal soap and spray with water.
- Inspect any spring bulbs you may have stored or forgotten about. Discard soft or mouldy ones.
- Plant any left over, not-yet-planted spring bulbs like daffs, tulips etc. in pots with good potting soil and a little bone meal. Water. Put the pots in an unheated garage or garden shed for 6 weeks. Take them inside in February or early March for spring blooms in less than a month.
- Expand your personal knowledge through on-line courses. Check out Master Gardener websites for lectures and seminars. Start looking on-line for seed and plant catalogues.
- Start planning your garden for next spring. I’m already making lists of plants to divide, and BUY.
- Make detailed lists under different categories, like: BIG projects, regular maintenance, new plants to buy and also, plants to divide.
- Google “Seed Catalogue Websites” and see hundreds of seed sources.
- Order flower and vegetable seeds. Decide which seeds should be started inside.
- If you can find them, try forcing amaryllis and paperwhite narcissus now for indoor winter bloom that will cheer you up during a long winter.
- At the end of the month, start the slowest germinating seeds like begonias and geraniums, also seeds for early spring bloom e.g., pansy, verbena, alyssum and dianthus.
John Hethrington,
Master Gardener Emeritus,
Past President, Master Gardeners of Ontario
Beaver Valley Probus Club