Just because the weather has gotten colder doesn’t mean that your gardening chores are over. Now is the perfect time to prepare your garden for winter so that you can enjoy healthier plants come spring. Follow these 10 tips to make sure that your garden is ready for winter.
Install cover plants
As your garden dies away, it becomes more susceptible to erosion, which can change the landscape and wash away nutrient-rich topsoil. Planting cover crops, such as clover, can help fight erosion and prevent soil from becoming overly compact. Cover plants are typically hardy and able to withstand winter temperatures. The key is to plant them about four weeks before the first major frost.
Remove Rotting and Dead Plants
Rotting plants provide the perfect breeding ground for fungus and offer a nice home to pests. Be sure to clean up dead plants and bury them in the soil where they can pass nutrients back into the earth.
Get Rid of Invasive Weeds
If you spent the summer months cutting back weeds, now is the time to literally get to the root of the problem and dig up these weeds. This will help eliminate the problem and result in less maintenance once spring arrives.
Prepare Your Soil
Don’t wait until spring to start preparing your soil. Now is the perfect time to add nutrients like manure, bone meal, compost and other additives. The winter months will give these supplements plenty of time to go to work so that you start the spring with fertile soil.
Empty Your Compost
Once the weather turns cold, the microbes that work to breakdown organic matter and create rich compost will go dormant. Instead of leaving leftover compost sitting in the bin, use it to top off garden beds and make sure that you start the spring with an empty bin ready to create more compost.
Water Your Perennials
Any perennials and flowering shrubs should be watered in the fall so that they are better able to make it through the winter months when there tends to be long periods of dry weather. Water when the temperature is above 40℉. This will help prevent root damage and result in healthy spring plants.
Protect Small Trees and Shrubs
Fall is actually a great time to plant small trees and shrubs, but you will want to provide some added protection so that they survive the winter months. Surround small trees with snow fencing to create a cylinder that can then be packed with leaves or straw. Shrubs can be covered with burlap to help trap heat.
Empty Outdoor Containers
If your garden contains various potted plants, now is the time to empty them and make sure that are stored upside down. This will help prevent cracking and make sure that they don’t collect dirt, water and debris.
Add Mulch
The great thing about perennials is that they are low-maintenance. However, you can give them a helping hand by covering the bulbs in a layer of mulch. This is a simple way to protect them from birds and help create an even temperature during the winter.
Make an Appointment with Your Pest Control Provider
A professional pest control provider can assess your garden and provide you with custom advice for different ways to prepare your garden and landscape for winter. You can also use this opportunity to discuss pest problems you had during the summer and establish a plan of action for the coming spring.
For more help preparing your garden for winter and to schedule a pest management consultation, contact JT’s Landscaping. We can help you keep pests and rodents out of your garden so that all your plants can thrive and you can enjoy a beautiful and healthy garden.
