Fall has just arrived and it is time for getting the garden ready for winter. There are lots to do before the snow arrives so you won’t have a lot of work to do in the spring.
It is time to make sure delicate plants are protected and areas of the garden that needed to be tidied up as well as any pruning or trimming that can be done.
Just make sure the sap has stopped running on your bushes, shrubs, and trees. You don’t want to kill the plant.
The first thing to consider is protecting plants that aren’t going to make it through the winter. If the snow will protect the plant and you know it will survive the winter you can leave them in the ground.
It is important to note that many perennial stems and seed heads will make food for the birds through the winter. They also can add some interest to an otherwise dull garden.
You might want to consider adding some mulch around the perennials once the ground freezes. You can use pine needles, compost, peat moss or even shredded leaves. This will protect the soil and the plant roots when the temperature changes through the winter with freezing and thawing.
This is a good time to clean up the garden by pulling out any remaining crops or annuals that aren’t blooming anymore. You will also want to remove any debris or weeds from the garden so you don’t risk any disease come spring.
This is also a good time to look over your garden and make a note of anything you want to change or improve once spring arrives. You will have a better idea of what you want to do because you will understand what didn’t work and what did work in your garden over this last season.
You can also start preparing the soil for an early spring seeding. By turning over the garden with organic matter such as leaves, compost, manure, and grass clippings, you will have a good start of some great soil.
One thing to take into consideration when it comes to getting the garden ready for winter is to not forget to take care of any trees you have on the property. If you live in a rural area you might want to protect the trunks of young trees so rabbits and other critters don’t use them for food. Also, remove any tall grass or weeds from the base of the tree to prevent rodents from nesting in the area.
This may be your last time to mow the lawn, so add some fertilizer with low nitrogen (winter blend) and use the grass clippings for either mulch or add to your composter.
Do you love seeing daffodils and other plants come up in the spring? Now is the time to plant those bulbs. Garden centers and nurseries should have a lot of different varieties available at this time of the year.
This is the best time for getting your composter filled up with dead plant debris and leaves. Rather than being a nuisance, leaves make great mulch or better yet, add them to the composter. They require very little effort and make a great soil conditioner.
As well as leave mold is great for the soil. It is easy to make. Just pile up a bunch of moist leaves and wait for them to decompose. In the spring you will be able to add them to your vegetable garden.
Since you now have more time on your hands, make use of it by cleaning your garden tools.
Clean off any debris or soil and oil any of the wooden handles and moving parts. You can also sharpen any blades or get them sharpened by a professional.
Hang them up in your tool shed, garage, or basement ready for next spring.
If you have any plants or garden statues that you know won’t survive the winter, bring them indoors.
Make sure you wash the plants with soapy water or insecticidal soap to remove any critters.
You can also wash any garden furniture or statues and put them away.
Now that you have got your garden straightened out and ready for the next growing season, you might want to consider what you will need to do to get through the winter.
Having a snow blower is always a good idea. You can keep your sidewalks and driveways clean but they also can be used to access areas of your yard you might need to get to so make sure you take this into consideration when getting the garden ready for winter.
Look at all The Great Composters!
