Winterizing Your Garden: The Basics To Follow

Due to the freezing cold, harrowing winds and frost, and possible snowstorms, winter poses a great many challenges for any gardener. At this time of the year, plants are more at risk for developing diseases and eventually dying. You don’t want either of that to happen to your plants, do you? So to prevent any eventualities, you have to winterize your garden. The main reason for winterizing your garden is to protect your plants from the harsh winter elements and help them survive the cold season, so you can have a healthy and productive garden in the spring. Garden winterization is done during the fall season, just before the cold temperature sets in.

Gardens vary in the same way that gardeners do. But although gardens differ, there are winterization procedures that are applicable to all garden types. Here’s a few of them:

1. Rake off leaves from your garden. Doing so prevents diseases among plants and allows proper air and water circulation. Dispose of the leaves by adding them onto your compost. However, if the leaves are from diseased plants, throw them into the garbage to prevent the compost from being contaminated.

2. Cover plants with mulch. This will act as blanket to protect your plants from frost and winter extreme weathers. Unless your place is in the colder zone, use thin layers of mulch, as thick and compact mulch may work against your plants. Use sawdust, pine needles, straw, or shredded leaves as mulch, and apply them around the roots and over the beds.

3. Relocate delicate plants indoors. All plants that can’t survive winter weathers should be moved inside. Place them in a cool and dry place; do not forget to water them regularly. Do not, however, over-water the plants, as this may result in rot. As soon as the spring approaches, place them in sunlit areas.

4. Plant hardy, spring-blooming bulbs in the late fall. By this time, the soil is soft enough to accommodate bulbs. It is recommended to plant them two to three inches from the ground. The more delicate bulbs, on the other hand, should be kept indoors, particularly in a cool and dry room, as they can’t stand the winter cold outside.

5. Do not fertilize. Fertilizing encourages new growths that will be too tender to survive frosts and cold temperature. Should you need to fertilize, do this early in the fall. All fertilization should be put to a halt by mid- to late fall and resume only in the spring.

6. Clean up your plants. Remove the dead and damaged parts, then add the trimmings to the compost pile, unless of course they are cut from diseased plants.

7. Eliminate the weeds. Because weeds grow a lot during the fall, get rid of them as soon as you spot their presence. Otherwise, they will multiply uncontrollably and give you a lot of work come springtime.

When winterizing your garden, figure the possible winter extremes in your area, so you can adjust and better prepare your plants for the coming season.