When the days get colder, it’s best to prepare your plants and flowerbeds for the winter months. Here you will learn how to keep your garden well protected even in winter.
You’ve been nurturing and tending to your garden all year long. Now winter is here and the cold season is threatening your plants. But don’t worry – if you properly prepare your garden for winter, it can survive the icy months and be there in all its splendor in the spring. With our tips and tricks, it’s easy to winterize your garden.
Preparation is half the battle if you want to winterize a garden. You should start taking the first steps as early on as fall. Trees, hedges, and bushes should be pruned, and sick and dead branches should be removed so that everything can blossom beautifully again in the spring. You have a little more time when it comes to the other tasks.
Before winter comes, the lawn should be thoroughly mowed one last time. It’s a good idea to give it a good dose of fertilizer so that it will sprout again when it gets warmer. Make sure to remove any leaves from the lawn. If you leave any leaves on the lawn, they could damage the grass during winter because they stop it from getting enough light.
The leaves actually come in handy elsewhere. Your flowerbeds will have a higher chance of surviving the winter if they are covered, and the foliage is ideal for this. Make your flowerbeds a cozy blanket of leaves to keep them nice and warm in the winter.
Plants that you are able to move can hibernate in the house. Your basement is particularly suitable for this, as plants prefer cool and dark places. The plants that have to be left outside during the winter should be wrapped up well. Use bubble wrap around the pots or tubs. Last, but not least, place the pots on Styrofoam so that no cold can creep in from below.
Plants aren’t the only things that belong to a garden – the equipment does too. Don’t forget your rakes, shovels, and hoes when preparing your garden for winter. They must be cleaned thoroughly and then stored in the shed or the basement. It’s also recommended to empty your hoses and roll them up to store them. Watering cans should also be emptied and then stored inside, if possible.
It’s also best to store your garden furniture somewhere that’s covered. Although it’s already somewhat protected against wind and weather on the porch, being placed somewhere under cover extends its life expectancy.
Now that you’ve finished winterizing your garden, you can count the days until your plants blossom and sprout again.