When the weather becomes more uncomfortable and the temperatures slowly approach freezing point, it is time to make preparations for winter, and not just for people and animals. The garden can also use an extra dose of care now so that it can survive frosty temperatures, snow, ice and hail undamaged and can shine back to its former glory in spring. This is how the green oasis can be perfectly prepared for the cold winter.
1. Lawn care in the cold season
Many gardens consist of smaller or larger parts of lawns. A well-maintained lawn is not only beautiful to look at, it also invites you to linger, have a picnic or play and run around, especially in spring and summer. To keep the grass green and lush for as long as possible, a little care is required.
In order to keep your home lawn healthy through the winter, hobby gardeners should make some important preparations in the fall. First of all, this involves clearing the grass area of excess leaves. While a lush layer of leaves on plant or fruit and vegetable beds is definitely an advantage for overwintering, if possible, too many leaves should not accumulate on the lawn. Basically, lawn plants are rather robust, but they always need enough sunlight to develop well. If sunlight is blocked by a layer of leaves, the lawn can turn brown and die and a layer of moss will soon adorn the former grass area because the undemanding moss can thrive excellently in the moist semi-darkness under the layer of leaves.
When the leaves start to fall in autumn, you hearregular raking of leavestherefore to the essential work in the home garden. With enough light, lawn plants can continue to grow well into November until they prepare for hibernation.
Before hibernation, the lawn should definitely be thoroughly mowed and scarified again. So that the blades of grass can survive frost and snow well, it is advisable to shorten them to around 4 centimeters longer the last time you mow. This is the best possible way to prevent the stalks from breaking off and dying under a possible snow load.
After the last mowing of the lawn, individual areas where a lot of moss and other weeds have settled canbe freed from unwanted visitorsso that fresh grass seeds can be sown again. However, sowing should definitely take place well before the first ground frost so that the seeds can still germinate sufficiently. The freshly sown lawn seeds must remain as moist as possible. So if autumn is rather dry, it should be watered again.
Regardless of whether fresh lawn was sown, the entire grass area should be supplied again in autumn with a high-quality and particularly nutrient-rich fertilizer. Fertilizing is ideally done after the last lawn mowing. However, the same fertilizer that ensures abundant growth in spring and summer should not be used. A special autumn fertilizer is recommended as it provides the lawn with the nutrients that become scarce in the frozen ground in winter. Fertilizers that optimally prepare the lawn for winter contain a lot of potassium, which can be stored very well in the cells and make them strong against frost. At the same time, a special autumn fertilizer does not cause the blades of grass to grow too much so that they do not break off again under the snow load. UnderRasendoktor.atHobby gardeners can find out about the various products for the final lawn fertilization in autumn and order the right nutrients for the winter care of their home lawn. By the way, experts recommend starting fertilization so early that you can even fertilize twice before the first frost. This means the lawn is well looked after.
After this extensive care program, the lawn is ready for the winter. When frost and snow arrive, it is still good for the grass area to be regularly cleared of leaves, branches and other troublemakers. In addition, the lawn should be walked on as little as possible so as not to put too much strain on the blades.
2. Winterize perennial plants
Perennial plants are among the easiest to care for in the home garden. Many species are even hardy and can therefore remain in the garden through frost, snow and cold. But it is also good for hardy perennial plants if at least the sensitive roots are protected in winter. Prolonged ground frost can cause serious damage to plant roots, especially if the ground is not protected by a dense blanket of snow that remains for a long period of time.
A natural layer of leaves provides good protection against frost. That's why the leaves and branches that cover the ground around the perennial plants can be left alone. It is also possible to protect the soil against ground frost with an additional layer of bark mulch or special plant fleece. In larger plant beds, Styrofoam panels can also provide additional protection against ground frost. Bubble wrap can protect individual parts of plants.
Small perennial plants and species that are not sufficiently hardy should definitely be moved to winter quarters. To do this, if possible, they are placed in planters and overwintered, for example in the garden house, greenhouse or garage. However, caution is advised when moving to winter quarters. Every plant has different requirements. While particularly sensitive species should move as early as mid-October, it is important for other plants that they can remain outdoors until frost so that their shoots can develop sufficiently. This is the only way the plants can sprout properly again in spring. Even in the winter quarters it shouldn't be too warm and, above all, it shouldn't be stuffy or even dark. A cool but frost-protected place with lots of light is optimal.
Before hibernation, perennial plants should be watered regularly. However, it is important to ensure that no water accumulates in the ground. When frost sets in, the excess water can freeze and damage the plant roots. Plants should be watered thoroughly again before the first frost and then protected from excessive direct sunlight. It is ideal to water the plants thoroughly and then make them winter-proof with plant fleece or Styrofoam sheets.
Hobby gardeners can safely avoid cutting back their perennial plants in the fall. Excess plant parts die off in the cold winter anyway and the falling plant parts form an excellent natural protective layer against frost and cold. However, particularly sprawling perennials can be tied together so that they do not break under the weight of snow. Very tall perennial plants can be cut back again in autumn for the same reason. All other species are only cut back in spring.
3. Winterize the plant pot
Potted plants also need to be prepared for winter in good time. Since the limited amount of soil in a planter can freeze very quickly, potted plants should move to suitable winter quarters before the first frost. Potted plants also love a cool, dry and light place to spend the cold months. Temperatures below 10 but not significantly below 5 degrees are optimal for most potted plants. The move should take place as late as possible but before the first serious frost. If you don't have the opportunity to provide suitable winter quarters for your garden plants, you can also put your favorites in a nursery. Undervienna.atFor example, all garden centers in Vienna that offer a wintering service for sensitive garden plants are listed. However, it is advisable to request a warm place for the garden plants as early as possible. The capacities of the garden centers are limited and the service is in high demand. The costs for wintering in the nursery vary from provider to provider. If you inquire at the local garden center in the summer, you will be well prepared for the first cold snap in autumn.
However, there are also a few winter-hardy species that can spend the cold season outdoors if they are sufficiently protected against frost. This is best done with special plant fleece, which should protect both the pot and the above-ground parts of the plant. Brushwood or brushwood mats also offer protection from frost. The roots of potted plants can also receive a natural protective layer through leaves, small branches or similar plant parts. For example, the leaves raked up on the lawn can still serve a useful purpose.
It is important that the frost protection is permeable to air and light. It should also be possible to water the plants regularly and there must be an opening through which excess water can drain away. In order to additionally protect potted plants overwintering outdoors from ground frost, the pots should be placed on special elevations or supports that raise them a few centimeters from the ground. By the way, in winter only plant pots that are suitable for even the lowest temperatures should be put outside. Materials such as terracotta can easily burst due to ground frost and should therefore be moved to winter quarters.
Even in winter, potted plants need to be watered regularly, but only in moderation, as excess water dries more slowly and can quickly freeze in plants that overwinter outdoors. In the garden, potted plants should only be watered when there is no acute frost. Potted plants that have moved into winter quarters should be watered as needed. This means the soil should start to dry out. Plants give another signal when the leaves or flowers begin to curl or wilt. However, you should not water more frequently in winter quarters, otherwise the roots can rot all too easily.
4. Provide beds with a protective layer
Planting beds can be prepared quite easily for winter. A protective layer made of natural materials is usually enough to get the beds through the winter. Raked leaves are best suited for this. An additional layer of bark mulch or brushwood is also an excellent natural protective layer for garden beds. The organic material allows the soil to continue to breathe well and be supplied with water. If a thick layer of snow covers leaves and bark mulch in winter, the beds in the garden are particularly well protected from frost.
If it is very dry in autumn and winter, it should be watered again before the first frost and snow. However, moderation is important here, because if the irrigation water remains in the ground, it can freeze when frost occurs and damage the plants contained in the ground.
If you're looking forward to the abundance of buds in spring, you should use the last frost-free weeks in autumn to plant new bulbs and seeds. As long as the ground is still soft and warm, the bulbs and seeds can germinate well and become the first harbingers of spring after the bitter frost.
5. Trim trees, bushes and hedges
Trees, bushes and hedges overwinter very well without additional frost protection. However, hobby gardeners can make them strong for the winter by lending a hand again in October and cutting back shoots that are too long. In the cold season, trees, bushes and hedges withdraw the plant sap from the shoots into the vicinity of the trunk; shoots that extend further die sooner or later anyway. If they are cut back again in autumn, the plants have more strength for the remaining parts and they can sprout again more easily in spring.
It is best to cut the shoots on trees and shrubs back close to the trunk. Hedges can also be trimmed back heavily before winter. However, this work should not take place much later than October and should be completed before the first frost. This means that wood and hedges are well prepared for the winter.
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