Winter Garden Roundup
When crisp autumn days fade into the cool of winter and nature prepares for her annual hibernation, it’s the time to prepare your garden for the winter months. Following simple winter gardening tips before the coming frost will reduce springtime work, prevent unwanted pests, and promote healthier soil and plant life.
Tidy Up
The best time to begin winter garden preparations is after the last fall harvest and just before the first hard freeze. The simplest and most tedious of these winter gardening tips is to tidy up the garden. Remove weeds and dead plant matter like leaves, fruits, and discarded plant parts. This will help protect your garden from pests and keep soil and plants healthy. Some plants like perennials, trees, and shrubs will fare better over the winter and emerge healthier in the springtime if you prune them. If you would like more information on winter pruning, you can find it here.
Take Cover
Take care to protect your more vulnerable plants that are not cold hardy. Move any potted plants and plants with sensitive tubes and bulbs indoors for the winter. Cover plants like shrubs, rose bushes, and young trees with either burlap or garden cloches to protect them from cold and potential storms. Consider building a cold frame for any cold-hardy plants you wish to grow during the winter. You can find more winter gardening tips here.
Tend the Soil
Test the pH of your soil and neutralize soil that is too acidic. Add manure, compost, and organic fertilizers rich in nutrients to your soil. At this time, plant bulbs that do best when planted before winter. Give plants one final watering before the first deep freeze and place a 5-inch-thick layer of mulch atop soil. Do not prune plants or fertilize soil again until the springtime.
Repair, Prepare, and Protect
One of the most important things you can do is prepare gardening tools and structures for the coming season. Clean gardening tools like shovels and hoes and store them with tools like hoses and watering cans. Make repairs to any structures like garden beds or stone walkways. Consider your growing season and what you hope to change or accomplish come springtime. Plan your garden and begin to purchase any additional tools you will need to accomplish these goals before prices surge next growing season!
If outdoor gardening in the winter is unappealing, you can start your very own indoor garden — find out how to grow mushrooms here.
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