Now that weeding, watering, and pruning are done for this year, there are a few more chores to do as your gardening seasoning draws to a close.
The majority of what must be done to prepare for winter is a matter of simply cleaning-up your garden area, and covering up the gardening spot.
Practical steps to preparing your outside garden for winter involve:
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1) Defending plants.
There are several viewpoints (and perhaps zone considerations) that need to be considered on whether to cut-back plants or leave them standing thru the winter.
In my location (on the prairies) most folk leave their perennials standing rather than cut them back for several reasons. The main reason is that trapping the snow cover is crucial for protection of plants and holding-in moisture. Snow cover acts the same as a good mulch by insulating the soil.
Many evergreen stems and seed heads are also awfully engaging for winter interest and supply food for the birds. After the ground freezes, mulch evergreens and plant beds with pine needles, compost, peat moss, or sliced leaves. This protects the soil and plant roots and moderates the effect of acute temperature changes in winter times of freezes and unfreezes.
In your area, the climate changes may not impact your garden area so it is likely you may want to cover the area with a good mulch blend. Some gardeners even use a combination of mulch, newspapers, and broken-down cardboard boxes to cover the area.
2. Cleaning-up the garden.
Cleaning around your garden area will make your spring preparation much more pleasant. It will help bring closure for your gardening season, and will help your in your planning for your next season gardening.
You will want to crop all warm-season crops (like tomatoes) although they may still be green. Many gardeners will place unripened tomatoes on windowsills, or layer them in boxes with papers between the layers. The tomatoes can slowly ripen so it helps extended the pleasures of your garden crop. While some of these ripening methods are not my favorite in terms of eating plant-ripened produce, it certainly is far better than allowing them to go to waste. I always prefer to eat plant-ripened produce. Of course, you may also want to use green tomatoes for fried green tomatoes or numerous green tomato recipes.
Pull out any remaining crops or spent annuals, clean up remaining waste and weeds to reduce the chance of illness issues in the spring.
3. Gauging your garden design.
Prior to your efforts to winterize your garden, take a minute or two to study and document what worked and what failed to live up to your gardening standards. You should make good notes of any areas that you want to change in the spring. With a few months of winter ahead you will likely not remember all the exact difficulties you had with your garden, so it is a very good idea to keep a journal of your successes and failures. It will help you in your planning for the upcoming planting season.
4. Prepare the soil for early spring seeding.
Many new gardeners often neglect this important winterizing tip. Frozen soil, snow, or other climate conditions may impact the timing of this task, but it’s certainly a benefit to your future garden.
Take time to turn-over the garden soil late in the season, and improve your soil by amending with organic material like leaves, compost, or well-rotted dung. This will add new life to your upcoming growing season, and help with your garden yields.
5. Caring for trees and gardens.
Protect the tender bark of young trees from rabbits and chewing monsters by wrapping stems or trunks with chicken wire or commercial tree-guard products. To stop rodents from nesting near buildings and trees, trim tall grass, and remove weeds. Make sure your trees and plants are adequately watered and composted so they go into the winter season well hydrated.
Do not prune plants and trees as it may excite new growth just before the cruel weather. Cut grassed areas and add organic fertilizers (if you want) with a low nitrogen ‘winter’ mix. Use grass clippings for mulch or compost. Never send them to the rubbish heap, as they ‘re glorious fertilizer left on the turf (if they don’t seem to be too long) and / or make brilliant compost / mulch dug directly into the garden or utilized for paths.
6. Remember that now is the time to plant bulbs.
Garden centers carry many types that are appropriate for your zone area. Keep in mind: You will want to buy top-quality. Inexpensive is not always the better option. Typically, the bigger the bulb the bigger the bloom. Look for fatness of the bulb, firmness, clean skin, and surface.
Directions for planting are usually always included with the package.
7. Composting.
Composting can be one of your most important chores in shutting down your garden for winter. You will want to compost your dead plant waste and leaves. The compost will add vital nutrients to your new garden.
Leaves are a valuable natural resource and take little effort to reuse into an excellent soil conditioner (leaf mildew) for the yard and garden. You can make leaf mold by the same process nature does.
Pile up wet leaves and wait for them to rot or shred the leaves into smaller pieces before piling them up. If you want, you can enclose the pile with chicken wire, snow fencing, or something similar. (In the spring, I rake up dry leaves and dig them directly into the plant garden.)
8. Store Gardening Equipment
Clean the soil from all of your gardener’s equipment, oil any wooden handles and moving parts, sharpen any blades, and then keep them in a dry place for the winter. Water Gardening. Bring in pumps, drain, clean, refill (if obligatory) and store tender water plants before freezing.
9. Bringing in your indoor plants.
Use sterilized potting soil acquired from garden centers or shopping malls if re-potting your plants. Do not use garden soil as it may harbor insects, weed seeds, illness, and fungi.
