As the seasons change from fall and we transition into winter, it’s time to prepare your yard for the winter. All of these plants are busy forming roots to secure their position in the soil. Worms and soil bacteria are still at work, converting organic matter into the nutrients that plants require. Although nature has its methods of dealing with the wintertime, there are several things you could do in terms of gardening in winter to assist your plants to be prepared for the next season.
Clean Up
Remove any weeds with winter gardening that have sprouted throughout the growing period.
Do you recall the types of weeds that took over your berry plants? Or the weeds creeping on the edges of your garden? It’s now or never to deal with those rogues. Dig them up and throw them away, or bury them with tarps or garden fabric.
Many invasive weeds may survive in a compost pile or waste pile, so avoid the desire to just move them to a different place in your yard. The only method to prevent invasive plants from growing all over again and harming next year’s harvest is to fully remove them.
Amend Soil for Spring
October is a perfect season to use natural fertilizers such as kelp and rock phosphate. Adding fertilizers at this point in the year gives them time to break down, replenish their soil, and become biologically active before to be read as a garden in winter and preserving the plants in winter. To prevent winter rains from washing the amendments below the active root zone, mulch your soil or grow a cover crop. This is especially important in raised beds because they drain more quickly. Early in the spring, before fresh planting, remove the mulch.
Replenish Mulch
Mulching in the winter provides many of the same advantages as mulching in the summer. These include decreasing water loss, preventing soil erosion, and weed control. But there are additional advantages to winter mulching: as the soil transitions to colder weather, the freezing and thawing of the dirt can harm garden plants, whose roots suffer from all the twisting and surging.
Mulching the soil surface with a thick layer of mulch helps to manage soil temperatures and moisture, as well as smooth the transition into winter. A heavy layer of mulch over root vegetables left in the garden for the autumn and winter harvest can protect them from strong frosts and help them last longer. As the mulch decomposes, it introduces new organic material to the soil.
Plant Cover Crops
Later in the summer or earlier in the fall is a suitable time to sow cover crops such as rye, clover, or wildflowers in many regions. These crops aid in soil erosion prevention, break up compacted regions and enhance organic matter levels in garden beds. Cover crops also contribute nutrients to your soil while also assisting in the removal of carbon from the environment.
While it’s a good rule of thumb to sow cover crops about a month before the first deadly frost, certain cover crops are hardier than others. Other items to consider in preparing for the first frost include garden bed covers, garden bed cloths and plant covers for the winter-these are essential in protecting your plant bed and garden soil.
Prune Perennials
Trimming perennial garden plants in the fall is a wonderful idea, but make sure you select the proper ones. While plants like fennel benefit from fall trimming, research suggests that some plant’s crown well into the winter. Refrain from cutting back your perennial blooming plants, especially those with seed heads. These will provide good food for your neighbourhood’s overwintering winter birds and make it more interesting. Plants’ fragile crowns are also protected by stalks and leaves throughout the winter.
Divide and Plant Bulbs
It’s time to dig up and divide any plants that seemed crowded or straggly throughout the growth season three to four weeks following that spectacular display.
This may need some guessing in determining the position of spring bulbs. Other plants will stand out more. Carefully loosen the dirt 4-8 inches away from the plant’s developing stem. Lift bulbs gently and separate bulblets for transplantation to another location in the garden right away. Now is the time to replant your spring bulbs if you already dug them up for splitting. Daffodils, tulips, and crocuses are all ready to be planted again next year.
Pamper Trees and Shrubs
If you keep your trees and shrubs in good form, they will have an easier time surviving the winter. One of the most essential things for plants is to give them lots of water well before soil freezes, particularly if fall has been dry. Spread plant matter such as chopped leaves up to 6 inches thick just after soil freezes. This keeps moisture in the soil (plants still require water in the winter) and protects roots from freezing and thawing. To avoid snow and wind from exacerbating these issues, remove any broken or diseased branches. Burlap screens can be used to protect young evergreens in exposed sites from the drying cold wind.
Review and Plan for Spring
Take detailed notes for next season on what worked and what didn’t when it comes to vegetable performance. Fertility of the soil, moisture levels, and plant positioning may all be changed. Making a small list of lessons learned now will help you remember more afterwards.
Clean Garden Tools
Even though most gardeners are aware that they should keep their equipment clean and properly maintained year-round, it can be difficult to do so when the colder season is in full effect. Fall is an excellent time to extend the life of your instruments by giving them some maintenance and care they deserve. To eliminate dirt and dust from tools, start by washing them. Clean rust using sandpaper or a bristle wire brush if it is displaying the rust on the tools. A basic mill file may be used to sharpen shovels and hoes. Pruners can be sharpened with a chisel. Finally, use an oily cloth dipped in mild machine oil to massage the exterior surfaces of your equipment. This will help to protect the metals from oxygen and improve the life of your tools for another year.
At ISR gardening, we specialize in preparing your garden for the winter season. Our many years of experience allow us to quickly identify the problem areas and tackle them. Contact us today to assist you in preparing your garden and plants for the winter season!