December is a somewhat slow time of the year at the Adams county Extension office in terms of people calling with home horticulture problems. Most of the calls we receive this time of the year are more related to simple maintenance of existing plants in good health during cold months. So I decided to just give you a simple checklist of what to be looking for during this month.

Q: What should I be doing around my house now?

A: Now is a good time to prune fruit trees and shade trees that have damaged wood on them. I would also recommend you not prune any of your shrubs that flower in the spring at this time or you will lose spring buds that will become your flowers.

As you walk around your home looking in trees, you may begin to see mistletoe growing. If you can safely retrieve it, go ahead and get it down and hang it around the house. Mistletoe can be toxic to both humans and pets so keep it out of reach from young children.

If you have not already done so, you should consider bringing in potted and movable plants to help protect them from the cold weather. For plants outside that you want to protect, add a layer of pine straw or another type of mulch about 6 inches deep to provide maximum protection during cold weather.

Q: What can I be planting right now?

A: December is the time to plant any of the bare root trees in stores. They include many of the citrus, fruit and nut trees. December is also the time to be thinking about planting dormant shrubs like, azalea, camellia, nadina, indian hawthorne, spirea or hydrangea to name a few.

If you are looking more at adding something inside your home indoor plants to consider are begonias, ferns, African violets or Christmas cati. Remember that feeding and watering of indoor plants does decrease during the winter months, but be sure to check on their moisture levels at least twice a month.

Toward the end of December you should start looking around for bulbs that have been cared for and are ready to be planted. Some popular bulbs in the Miss-Lou that you could consider are tulips, hyacinth or daffodils.

Those of you looking for a herb to grow in the kitchen window may consider chives, rosemary or oregano. But remember, herbs do best when placed in a sunny window as opposed to part sun or shade.

Q: Are any flowers blooming this time of the year?

A: Although we don’t see the spectacular display of flower like we find around Natchez in the spring, there are options if you want blooming flowers in December. The most popular blooming flower right now is probably the poinsettia. However you can also find some narcissus, camellia, and even some amaryllis.

David Carter is the director of the Adams County Extension Service. He can be reached at 601-445-8201.