Temperatures are dropping, once-hearty stems are shriveling and the first frost is fast-approaching. Another growing season has come and gone, and it is time to prepare your garden for winter. Garden winter prep is not just about sowing overwintered crops and preparing your plots for a season of rest, though — it is also a great opportunity to get ahead on your to-do list for spring.
Raised Beds and in-ground garden beds alike require a postseason cleaning to quell disease and prevent weeds from taking root in the season to come. Plan to weed, pull up dead plants and add compost and mulch before the frost makes the soil unworkable.
Your perennials, shrubs and trees would love a good once-over before the cold weather hits! Prune back unruly or dead branches on shrubs and trees to trim them into shape again. Cut off the spent blooms and dead leaves from your perennial plants in your garden to keep them from getting diseases or fungus. Some perennials like to be cut right down to the ground in the winter, regrowing next Spring.
Leaves from nearby trees can seem like a pain to rake and clean up, but they're really useful! Use these leaves around the base of your plants to create nutritious mulch that will feed your plants during the winter and also keep them insulated. Leaves are also fantastic for the compost, helping you create super healthy plant food for next year.
Adding a thick layer of mulch around the base of your plants will help protect the roots from the coldest weather and let them remain safe and dormant during the winter. It also helps to stop weed growth and retains water much better than soil. When it starts to break down in the spring, it will add valuable organic material to your garden beds as well.
Comments