Garden in winter also needs care, but to a greater extent, this concerns the preparation of plants for wintering. How do I keep my garden nice in the winter? Wrap your plants up warm, clear out dead material, and plan your planting for next year.
How do you take care of a winter garden?
key takeaways from the winter garden care advice:
- Prune carefully in winter – only dead stems, faded flowers, and old leaves. Knock snow off plants and protect from frost.
- Continue lawn care – tidy edges, maintain moderate length to prevent brittleness. Mow less frequently due to slower growth.
- Choose frost-resistant bonnie plants – use plant identifier apps like Lily to pick varieties that withstand your winter.
- Prepare beds – add compost, straw, or mulch before ground freezes to enrich soil, prevent erosion and deter weeds. Cover vegetable gardens.
- Protect trees and shrubs – avoid pruning before winter, cover small trees/shrubs with structures if early snow. Wrap fruit tree trunks. Dig holes for Christmas trees.
- You can still plant some cool weather crops like onions, cabbage, lettuce in trays for transplant in spring.
- Turn off watering systems for the winter after hard freeze sets in.
#1 Prune
In winter, it is not advised to do excessive pruning as it may result in cutting away new life. However, you can still prune fruit trees, bushes, wisteria, and rose bushes. It is also important to cut back dead stems on perennials and remove any faded flowers and old leaves. If there is snow, make sure to knock off any excess from your plants to prevent damage caused by the weight and lack of sunlight. Additionally, protect your favorite plants from the frost.
#2 Winter is not a reason to forget about the lawn
Ensure your lawn receives proper care as well. Now is an opportune moment to tidy up and repair the edges. Maintain a moderate grass length throughout the winter to promote survival. Avoid cutting it too short, as it may struggle to endure. Additionally, excessive length can lead to brittleness caused by frost. When mowing, be mindful not to remove more than a third of the growth.
If the weather turns cold, lawn growth slows down significantly, allowing you to postpone maintenance until the start of spring. However, in milder weather, you will need to use the mower at some point during the winter.
#3 Pick new plants
If your region has fairly cold winters, then you should choose frost-resistant plant varieties. You can use the Lily app plant identifier – it is a smart application that knows everything about plants. You can easily determine what this plant is and what care conditions it requires. Moreover, the Identify Plants app helps to care for them throughout all plant life cycles. You can use the app for iPhone to identify plant diseases and select the perfect garden. In fact, this plant app will be useful in all seasons of the year.
#4 Cover up the garden beds
To maximize the absorption of nutrients by the soil during winter, it is recommended that you add compost in late autumn instead of spring. Before the ground freezes, apply a few inches of compost or manure on top of your beds. Additionally, to prevent soil erosion, leaching of nutrients, and weed growth, lightly spread a layer of straw or mulch. To determine what constitutes healthy soil, we encourage you to read our article on preparing soil for planting.
In vegetable gardens, an alternate approach is to cover the garden beds with black shapes plastics, cardboard, or even an old carpet, leaving it in place throughout the winter season until you are ready to plant in spring. This will effectively eliminate existing weeds and inhibit the growth of new ones.
#5 Prepare trees and shrubs for winter
How do you winterize an outdoor garden:
- Avoid pruning trees and shrubs right before winter. Even if they seem a little overgrown, wait until next spring.
- If you experience early snowfall in your area, protect small trees and deciduous shrubs by covering them with a wooden structure. Alternatively, encircle them with a cylinder of chicken wire fencing and fill the space between the tree and the fence with straw or shredded leaves.
- For young fruit trees, it’s a wise idea to wrap the lower trunk with a tree wrap that keeps pests away. This prevents mice and voles from gnawing on the tree’s bark during the winter. The tree wrap also serves as protection against winter injury caused by premature thawing. In late winter, during the combination of warm, sunny days and freezing nights, the thin bark of young trees can split.
- If you plan to purchase a live Christmas tree this season, dig the hole where you intend to plant it before the ground freezes. Store the soil you remove in the garage or basement, where it won’t freeze. Cover the hole with a board and mark its location to easily locate it in case of snowfall.
#6 Get planting
You’d be surprised, but you can actually plant a few things during this time of year. You can sow onions, cabbage, and lettuce in trays. Keep them warm and watered until spring, then transplant them into your outdoor beds.
#7 Turn off the watering system
Turn off your water if you haven’t already! Avoid potential damage by disconnecting the hose or irrigation when it frosts. In warmer climates, simply detach the system from the hose spigot and let the water drain out. However, in colder climates, use an air compressor to forcefully remove all the water or bring everything indoors for the winter.
Read Also: TOP TASKS TO COMPLETE EACH YEAR TO MAINTAIN YOUR HOME EFFECTIVELY
Conclusion
In winter, gardeners also have something to do. In fact, this is the most important season of the year, because the percentage of missing plants increases in winter. If you do not take proper care measures, there is a high probability that the plant will not survive. Plus you need to already prepare for the next season. Follow these tips and your garden will thank you with vibrant greenery in the spring.
