Winter is a very delicate period that calls for proper care of yourself, and things around you. Humans, plants, and animals are affected by the harsh and unforgiving period of soaring cold.
However, one area you will need to pay extra attention to is the home garden. Do not let the winter destroy your lovely garden. Take good care of your garden by considering the following gardening tips for winter.
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Tidy Things up
As winter approaches, certain groups of plants will tend to shed off their leaves as a way of adapting to the cold conditions. The fallen leaves and plant materials end up on the ground leading to a buildup of waste that can harbor diseases and pests during the winter period.
The best way to handle such is by burying them deep in the garden soil to slowly decompose and act as organic manure during spring and summer.
Carry Out Proper Pruning
Not all plants will have died in your garden as some are adapted to cold weather conditions. Therefore, take the winter period to assess your garden plants. Do away with the dead ones and prune those that have the potential for growth during spring and summer.
Be extra careful, however, when it comes to pruning. Knowing when to prune and what plants to prune is very essential. The winter period is the best time to prune since a majority of the plants are in the dormant stage. This offers a good opportunity for growth when they flower again. Roses are one perfect example of winter pruning plants.
Establish a Warm Layer of Protection
For plants not adapted to cold weather conditions, they will mostly dry up and die. Nevertheless, there are those plants that are adapted and should you still have them growing in your garden, then you will need to protect them.
How do you do that? According to ITV’s gardening presenter, the blogger David Domoney, and as an expert from HomeBlows says, it’s a good idea to keep the plants and the garden soil warm.
For portable gardens, it is easy as you can move them to warmer locations and place them close to each other. For outdoor non-portable garden beds, the best option is to add suitable layers of cover either on the whole garden or around the base of the plants. Appropriate plastic made sheets, mulch, stem barks or straw leaves are highly recommended.
Mind Your Gardening Tools
Well, gardening is not just about the plants but also the gardening tools and equipment. It’s with the tools that you are able to perform a number of gardening tasks. Therefore, it is imperative to take good care of them. You can create a good garden shed to safely store your gardening tools through the winter period. Leaving them anyhow will expose them to harsh winter conditions or theft.
Do Constant Monitoring of the Garden
Well, the mistake that people make is to prepare the garden once and wait till spring. That should be avoided unless the conditions are very extreme and unfavorable. Try monitoring your garden from time to time to ensure it is faring well enough. Twice a week is highly appropriate.
For instance, you would need to replace your garden mulch cover or remove excess buildup of snow. This way, you give your garden the best chance to survive the harsh winter and come through unscathed.
