The cold weather can damage plants and lawns, but you can winterize your yard ahead of time to prevent this. As the temperature drops, the amount of gardening required may increase as the soil becomes harder. The plants are slow to prepare for winter dormancy and will not thrive once the ground freezes. As the fall to winter season transitions, unpredictable rainfall may also occur, potentially damaging your plants. Timely garden maintenance also depends to some extent on where you live. For this reason it is importantPreparing the garden for the winter season. But what is the best way to protect your plants from frost and snow in winter? Just read on to discover some simple tips that can help you enjoy a thriving garden come spring.
When should you prepare your garden for winter?
Even in the coldest winter season, perennial plants grow back every year. As the weather transitions into winter, perennials hibernate, resting at a constant temperature until warm weather returns. It's a good thing that perennial plants are much easier to prepare for winter than annual plants. Although perennial plants have different growth habits, they only need a little trimming and mulching before the winter season. In places with warm winters, the fall season is the best time to plant perennials. Because perennials grow slowly during the cold, wet season, the plants are susceptible to disease and rot. For this reason, always check for signs of disease and pests. Perennials need to be pruned to keep the plants clean and to remove diseased leaves or pest eggs. You can use the plant cuttings asUse compost. The active stacks kill pathogens and weed seeds.
When pruning perennials, avoid cutting stems with seed heads. The fall season is the best time to enrich the soil with compost. You should add a 10-15cm layer of organic compost around the beds. When broken down, nutrients are released into the soil, improving the structure and nutrient profile of the soil. The slow release of nutrients prevents burns while ensuring the soil is nutrient-rich all winter long.
A thatch cover is also a great way to prepare perennials for the bitter cold. This method protects the plants' root systems and soil from freezing temperatures. You can use beds with chopped leaves, grass clippings or pine needles as material. Covering with straw can attract rodents which will keep unwanted insects away. However, it is better to wait until the ground freezes before adding a 15 cm layer of straw.
Winter preparation of plant beds and annual plants
For warm climate perennials, continue checking for pests and diseases during the winter season.Clear the plant bedsand edges and maintain or build new ones so that you have space for new plants to grow. For cool climate perennials, cover the bare ground with straw after the ground freezes. After frost, clean plant beds and remove dead plants and weeds. You should also use cold frames to protect your hardy perennials from the cool air. Annual plants require more care during the winter season because they cannot survive the cold. So you should dig up your summer plants and use them for composting. For annual warm and cold climates, you should cover your plants with garden fabric when there is a warning of light frost. We also recommend collecting the seeds of your favorite plants in advance.
In cool climates, cover your annual plant beds with a 4-inch layer of chopped leaves, grass clippings, and other compost. For self-sown seeds that germinate in spring, keep the layer only about 5 cm thick. Then label your annuals for next spring. Also replace decomposed organic thatch. Finally, check for pests, remove weeds, and water the plants.
You should also dig up and clean the bulbs before the winter season begins. Cover your onion beds with evergreens or raise the surface of the soil for shallowly planted bulbs. Store these in a breathable container to prevent rot. Use a cardboard box covered with newspaper. Make sure the bulbs are not touching each other and store them all in a cool, dry place.
Winterize trees and bushes in the garden
In cool climates, water trees and shrubs regularly and deeply before the ground freezes. This is particularly true for evergreen plants. Young trees and shrubs need all the nutrients they can get, so you can tooFertilizer for the soiluse. You may need to transplant young trees and shrubs to another location in early fall. Older trees and shrubs do not need additional fertilizer, especially if they are covered with straw. Still, you should protect your plants with a trellis, arbor, or other sturdy barriers to protect them from inclement weather conditions. Once the ground is frozen, it's best to add a 6-inch (15 cm) layer of straw to your trees and shrubs.
Such plants go dormant in warm climates as the winter season approaches. Therefore, stop fertilizing them so that they can harden off during this time. Some types of trees, such as citrus and avocados, have a tendency to split fruit. You can prevent this by watering the trees deeply, especially when there is little rain. Some flowering shrubs, like camellias, may turn a dull brown as the cold season arrives. Non-tropical trees and shrubs may need to be moved to othersTransplant parts of the garden. Prune your trees and shrubs regularly to keep your garden clean during cool weather.
More care tips for the winter season
Be sure to nourish the soil from October to November. If the lawn is still growing while you are preparing your yard for winter, continue mowing it. This inhibits the growth of mold that can spread throughout your garden during the winter months. Want to make your spring gardening chores easier? Always keep your perennial beds clean and tidy. Prune your plants, remove dead leaves and unwanted garden debris. You can also apply a layer of fresh compost during this period.
Some plants, such as roses, require even more care in cool weather. Therefore, when winterizing the garden, you should prune the roses to get rid of the tallest stems during the fall season. UmCaring for climbing roses, you don't necessarily have to cut them before winter. Simply remove the climbing stems from the gazebo, then place them on the ground and cover them with straw. After the ground has frozen, you can cover the roses with another layer. Some low-maintenance rose varieties require a warm base to stay healthy during the winter season. Therefore, use compost. For sensitive rose varieties you need a cover for protection.
Regular garden care before winter
Sometimes the final weeks of fall are exceptionally dry, leaving shrubs and perennials thirsty. You need to water these plant varieties often or they will die in winter. Strong winds and salt buildup can also cause damage to plants. Use netting to protect your plants from the elements. Do you have newly planted evergreens, shrubs, trees and perennials? You need to cover them after the ground freezes because compost protects delicate plant roots from frost. Make it a habit to add compost to your vegetable garden and keep the plots clean and tidy before the winter season. This makes for an excellent bounty in the spring. If your garden is decorated with potted plants and garden statues, you need to bring them indoors during the winter season.
Bring more order to the garden
Pillows, sun loungers, picnic blankets and other summer essentials should be stored in sheds or basements for the winter. This also applies to plastic garden items and metal items, which can be susceptible to winter rust. You can also rake moss from lawns or remove straw on garden grass with a good old-fashioned rake. Use the tines to aid drainage and ventilation. This helps the lawn to take root firmly in winter. Gardens exposed to the worst of winter weather need all the help they can get. Therefore, it is important to ensure that all the tools in the shed allow you to get the job done. Also collect all water containers for plants and empty them before the peak of winter. This gives the natural rainwater enough time to collect before you need it again in the spring.
Fall cleanup creates a lot of organic waste in compost piles. So winter is the perfect time to spread this around the garden and start anew for the new year. You should also cover your pond. Place a thin mesh net or tarp over it and over other standing water to avoid problems with rotting leaves. You can then easily collect and compost these. Fix loose screws or edges on fences, patios or wooden garden structures before inclement weather and paint or spray wooden surfaces with an appropriate wood preservative.
Also take care of birds and wildlife by hanging bird feeders on a tree. Non-migratory birds are particularly at risk in the colder months. That's why it's important for big-hearted people to keep well-stocked bird feeders and water baths in their gardens in winter. Don't forget the hedgehogs either.
Preparing the soil for winter and designing the garden
When the temperature falls below 7°C, most biological activity in the garden slows down. From the plants to the creatures that overwinter in the soil, everything is preparing for hibernation. Although soil structure does not change for the better during the cold season, there are things you can do to ensure your plants survive even in the bitterest cold. It is normal for the soil to become loose and crumbly at the end of the season. You can restore the texture of the soil by digging up the beds. This is especially useful if you want to prepare plant beds for a vegetable garden in the spring. During the fall season, you can again place straw over vacant beds without cultivating them first. It is also advisable to dig up perennial weeds to maintain the desired structure of your garden soil.
Add a touch of color to your garden to offset the harshness of winter by adding plants with a calming palette of bright green, white or burgundy. You can also plant deep green conifers after the holidays to add some color to your garden. Give your garden a lush look by combining different types of potted plants. You can define in-ground plant beds by designating a row of potted plants along their edges. You can also use plants that produce white flowers (like white cyclamen) to enhance the low brick wall of your raised border and highlight this area. The winter season is just around the corner and it's worth preparing your garden weeks, and even months, before the weather changes. Keep these useful gardening tips in mind as you prepare your garden for winter.
