Prepare your garden for winter when temperatures decrease and daylight hours reduce. These ten simple tips will keep your garden healthy and robust during the winter, preparing it for a good growth season next spring.
Get rid of dead plants, leaves, and other junk in the garden beds so that pests and diseases don't gather there over the winter.
1. Clean Up
To clean up the yard and encourage healthy growth in the spring, cut back any dead or damaged leaves on perennial plants.
2. Prune Perennials
Wrap a layer of mulch around the base of trees, shrubs, and perennials to keep the earth warm, keep water in, and keep the roots from freezing.
3. Mulch
To protect plants from frost and cold air, cover them with hessian, frost blankets or cloches. You might want to move outdoor plants inside or to a protected area.
4. Protect Tender Plants
If you don't want pipes and hoses to freeze and break, turn off any outdoor water sources and drain watering systems.
5. Drain Irrigation Systems
Before putting yard tools away for the winter, clean, sharpen, and oil them to keep them from rusting and to make them last longer. Keep tools in a dry, safe place.
6. Clean and Store Tools
To make the soil better for plants and animals, add compost or other organic matter to flower beds and turn it over. Cover crops can help protect and improve the land over the winter.
7. Prepare Soil
Check and strengthen yard structures like fences, trellises and raised beds to make sure they can handle the winter weather.
8. Protect Structures
To make sure plants have enough water to last through the winter, water them deeply before the ground freezes. Check the amount of moisture in the soil throughout the season and water as needed.
9. Monitor Moisture
Plan how you want your garden to look next year, learn about new plants or types, and order seeds or other supplies ahead of time during the winter.