Helpful Tips for Preparing Your Garden for Winter
Now that temperatures are starting to drop, it’s time to start thinking about next year’s harvest. Winter can do a lot of damage to your garden that may set you back next season. To avoid any lasting damage to your plants and vegetables, follow these tips for preparing your garden for winter.
Protect and Prepare Your Soil
Soil provides nutrients that are necessary for your garden to thrive. You probably already spend a lot of time tending to your soil during the warmer months, and this upkeep shouldn’t stop just because the seasons have changed. Prepping the earth for winter will ensure it’s healthy and ready to go for the upcoming spring. Perform soil tests to see what it lacks in terms of nutrients and pH levels. Fix any problems by adding compost and soil amendments, and cover crops to bring your dirt back to life before the cold sets in.
Eliminate Any Disease or Decay
Removing dead or dying vegetation before winter may seem useless since your crops may die anyway. However, cleaning up any diseased plant life protects your flowers from further damage. These tips for preparing your garden for winter are all about helping you garden smarter, not harder.
Examine your plants and determine what’s on its way out or dead already. You’ll know what needs to go by finding wilted and brown petals, leaves, and stems. Getting rid of this decay will prevent disease from spreading to your healthy plants as the air turns chilly.
Revamp and Repair Your Tools
Many people wait until spring to take account of their supplies. Avoid common gardening mistakes such as using the wrong tools by restoring what you have and stocking up on what you’ll need right now. After you’ve made sure your plant life is safe from the snow, give your supplies a little TLC. Clean and sharpen your shears and shovels; fix any broken equipment, and store your trays and pots to avoid any mold or disease from spreading.
Prepping for the cold will save you so much time when gardening season rolls back around. Now that you’ve gotten your crops ready for winter, you can rest easy knowing everything is safe and sound.
