When it starts to get colder, it's a good time to start preparing your yard or garden for the winter. It's better to do this during the fall before it gets too cold to get a shovel into the soil.
What you need to do to prepare your garden for winter will depend on what exactly it is you're growing, but there are a few universal rules that should help you if you want to get things right.
You want to be able to return to it in the spring and start getting to work on ensuring it's flowering again.
Know Which Plants to Remove
Some dead plants may need to be removed when you're tidying up your garden, but there are also some that can stay where they are. The most important thing to do is to remove any diseased plants to prevent the possibility of the disease from spreading.
Other plants can usually be left to rot where they are so they can break down and add nutrients to the soil. They can also help to protect the soil by reducing erosion and they can provide places for pollinators to hide too. Just make sure you check for diseases first.
Give Your Garden Essential Nutrients
There are some essential times when your plants can use a helping hand where nutrients are concerned. Some people choose to add extra nutrients to their garden in the spring, but fall can be a great time to do it too.
You can carry out fall deep root feeding for trees to set your trees up for the rest of the year. This will give your trees and shrubs the essential nutrients that they need to survive the season. You might also choose to add certain things to your soil, such as fertilizer, manure, or compost.
Protect Your Garden Beds
Protecting your garden beds during the winter will help to ensure they're ready for planting when spring arrives. There are multiple ways you might choose to do this using a few different methods. You can plant cover crops, such as rye or clover, which will provide coverage to prevent soil erosion and compacted soil.
If you grow vegetables, planting legumes can increase the nitrogen levels in the soil. Replenishing mulch is also a good task to complete in the fall if you want to prevent weeds and soil erosion, as well as water loss.
Prune Your Perennials
It's a good idea to prune your perennials in the fall, but it's also important to prune the right ones. Some perennials benefit from being pruned in the fall, but others might not. Some prefer being pruned in the spring, but there are flowers, herbs, and other plants that do well if you prune them before winter arrives.
Just make sure you research the plants that you have in your garden so that you can decide whether to prune them or not.
Get your garden ready for winter by protecting it and ensuring it has all the nutrients it needs.
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