How to Prepare Garden for Winter to Keep Your Plants Healthy: Your garden needs extra care during the winter. If you start preparing early, the trouble will be less. This article will discuss how to prepare the garden for winter.
Gardening is not only a hobby but also a passion for many. As a gardener, you always want to have a healthy garden. But during winter, the temperature goes too low, which is harmful to most plants and soil.
Hence, it would help prepare before the winter takes over your area. Our nine tips will help you to prepare your garden for winter. So, continue reading till the end to keep your plants and soil healthy during the winter season.
Contents
- How to Prepare Garden for Winter? Nine Easy Tips & Tricks
- 1. Clean-up the Garden
- 2. Harvest and Store Vegetables
- 3. Avoid Cutting Branches
- 4. Do a Soil Test
- 5. Cover Up the Soil
- 6. Take Care of Perennials
- 7. Prepare Bird Feeders
- 8. Plant Cover Crops
- 9. Continue General Maintenance
- Conclusion: How to Prepare Garden for Winter
- What should be used to cover the garden in the winter?
- When should I prepare my garden for winter?
- What are the best plants for winter Colour?
- Should I cover my vegetable garden in winter?
How to Prepare Garden for Winter? Nine Easy Tips & Tricks
Preparing your garden ahead of the winter is not too hard. The following tips will help you to know how to prepare your garden for winter:
1. Clean-up the Garden
Many gardens look messed-up or untidy after the summer. Dead vegetable plants are very common. So, before winter, the first thing you can do is eliminate such plants. We have seen that dead plants may spread diseases. Different harmful insects may also have laid eggs on the plants during the summer. So, please find all the dead patches and get rid of them. Also, do not leave any infected plants. They may spread diseases to other plants too.
2. Harvest and Store Vegetables
During winter, you can keep the hardy vegetables to tolerate temperatures between 25°-30° Fahrenheit. Some may also taste better after the frost. Such vegetables include Kale, Collard, Broccoli, Brussels, etc. On the other hand, semi-hardy vegetables are a little sensitive to frost. You can keep them in the garden for a while. Try harvesting them before the temperature goes down below 27°F.
In the case of tender vegetables, harvest them before winter. They can not tolerate low temperatures and may die during the winter. These vegetables include peas, pumpkins, tomatoes, etc.
3. Avoid Cutting Branches
If you have trees in your garden, you may want to clean up the branches. But we suggest you do not do that. Even if the branches grow excess and look untidy, avoid cutting them for now. That’s because they will not get the proper environment to grow during the winter. And if you cut them at this moment, they will not get enough time to heal. So, keep the pruning and cutting job for the spring.
4. Do a Soil Test
Many gardeners avoid this crucial part. But you can get a lot of benefits from doing a soil test. You will know the soil pH, level of organic matter, and other nutrients like potassium, calcium, sulfur, etc. These measurements will help you to understand if the amendments you used worked well or not. It will also help you determine what nutrients your soil needs ahead of the winter. If you are serious about your garden, you must not skip this test.
5. Cover Up the Soil
Many people ask how to prepare vegetable beds for winter. Well, you can do that by adding compost to the soil. Some gardeners keep it for the spring season. But you also can do that before frost hits the ground. You will notice the benefits in the winter. First, add a couple of inches of compost on top of your beds or soil. Then try adding a thin layer of mulch above that. It will help the soil to prevent erosion and weed growth.
6. Take Care of Perennials
Preparing perennials for winter is a common question we get ahead of the cold season. First, try to water them before the snowfall. Then also, try to cover the perennials with leaves. Mulching will also help to do the plants better during the winter. As we already have told you, try not to cut branches. However, you may cut those who have been infected. Or else it may spread the disease to the whole perennial. Wait till the end of the winter for the subsequent cutting.
7. Prepare Bird Feeders
Birds are always helpful for gardens, including during the winter. They eat insects that could harm your plants. Feeding them is not something you can not do. Get a pot in your garden and put some seeds or nuts in that. This will keep the birds happy, and your garden will be healthy.
8. Plant Cover Crops
Fall is a great time to plant cover crops in gardens. It may help your garden to prevent soil erosion. Additionally, the cover crops also can increase the level of organic matter in the soil. You can plant winter rye or clover. But try doing it before the heavy frost appears. If the temperature is already too low, you may better go with the procedure explained in point 5.
9. Continue General Maintenance
When preparing your garden for the winter, do not forget to continue your general maintenance. Continue watering your garden regularly and mow your lawn before the winter. Also, keep the garden tools sharp for other maintenance work when the temperature is low.
Read more about What to Plant in Winter Garden?
Conclusion: How to Prepare Garden for Winter
These tips on how to get your garden ready for winter can be highly beneficial to your garden. They will help your garden to stay healthy even during the frost. As you have come this far, here is one bonus tip for you:
When preparing for the winter, take notes of your actions and their results. It will help you next year to determine what you should do and what you do not. If you have any more questions regarding how to prepare the garden for winter, let us know. Our experts are always ready to help you.
Frequently Answered Questions
What should be used to cover the garden in the winter?
It is best to cover your garden beds with black plastic or a layer of cardboard for vegetable gardens. You can also use an old carpet if that works.
When should I prepare my garden for winter?
Well, it depends on the area you live in. However, you can start cleaning up your garden and preparing for winter as November turns into December.
Read more about How often should I water my garden?
What are the best plants for winter Colour?
To lighten up your garden in winter, You can plant these magnificent plants —
- Winter flowering Clematis
- Pansies
- Coronilla
- Cornus
- Hellebores
- Sarcococca
- Camellia
- Ilex
- Loropetalum etc.
Read more about Why mushrooms are growing in my garden?
Should I cover my vegetable garden in winter?
Keeping the soil uncovered in winter is not a good idea. Critical to soil health. It would help if you used proper cover-ups to protect your veggies in winter.