Winter is here and with the cold weather comes the inevitable slowing down of garden activities. But that doesn’t mean that you completely ignore your garden. Here are a few tips on how to care for your garden in the winter months. Read on!
As winter marches on, even the most avid gardeners have a tendency to ignore their gardens in the cold months. We are here to tell you that ignoring your garden is pretty much the worst thing you could do in winter. It might not be the ideal weather to grow new plants, but that does not mean that the existing ones don’t need any love and care. It is extremely prudent to take proper care of your garden so that the trees and plants you have spent so many months caring after don’t suddenly die! It is especially necessary to pay extra attention to your garden if you took our tips last month and decided to grow new flowers. Don’t let winter ruin the beauty of your garden and lose all the progress you’ve made in your garden till now. So, here are a few tips on how to properly care for your garden during the winter.
REVIEW THE PLANTS AND ASSESS YOUR GROWING SEASON
Reassess what can be grown and what cannot.
This is a great time to assess the fruits and vegetables that you planted this season and assess whether they’ve performed adequately. If not, you will need to figure out the reason for the underperformance of the plants and find out if there is a better variety available that is more suitable to your geographical location. Take notes about what worked for your plants and what didn’t so you can better care for the plants next time. Check and adjust soil fertility, moisture levels, and plant placements.
CLEAN AND SHARPEN YOUR TOOLS
Keeping tools clean and sharpened is necessary.
Although most gardeners might already be accustomed to keeping their tools clean and well-oiled throughout the year, some don’t. And some find it difficult to do it during the year when the garden is in full swing. Thus, this time period is perfect to ensure your tools are sharp and clean and can serve you properly in the upcoming busy months. Wash off the dirt and debris and remove rust with a sandpaper or wire brush. Sharpen the other tools and rub all the tools’ surfaces with an oiled rag coated in light machine oil to extend your tools’ lives for one more year.
CLEAN UP THE GARDEN
Clean up your garden and remove dead and infected plants.
The most important step is cleaning your plants. This means removing the dead parts and the infected parts of the plants. If these aren’t removed, they’ll damage the rest of the plants as well. Ensure that you use clean and disinfected scissors to do this removing and make sure to clean and disinfect the tools afterwards as well. Remove the weeds as well because if left unchecked, they’ll compete with the other plants in the garden and result in unhealthy growth of the plants you actually want to grow.
PROTECT THE PLANTS
Make sure your plants are protected from the cold winds.
Winter can be pretty harsh on plants. Young trees, shrubs, and perennials are often in need of protection from fluctuating and extreme temperatures. Make use of wraps and plant covers to lessen potential winter damage. You can use greenhouses, row covers, and cold frames for the less tolerant vegetables and their protection. Don’t forget to water your plants as your plants still do need water to grow.
