Now that autumn has arrived, gardening activities will naturally decrease. Perennials are just beginning to show their autumn colors and lose the leaves.
The urge to lock the garden gate and let nature take its course is strong after the hectic planting and harvesting seasons of spring and summer. With the arrival of autumn, is there anything left to do?
How much simpler you want life to be in spring determines the response to the question. It will save you time and energy if you take a few extra precautions right now. These tips for preparing your garden for winter will help you save time in the next year’s spring rush, so let’s dive right in!
1. Clean the sprinkles and store the hoses
The first thing you should do is collect all the components of your irrigation system if you have any. It’s ideal to have it out of the way since it has many separate parts that might be damaged when tending to your garden in fall and there is no need to water the plants during this season.
Of course, don’t simply cram them into the shed while still filthy; instead, we give them a good hosing and make sure they’re completely dry before storing them for the winter.
Empty your hoses and wrap them up to keep them safe from the elements during winter once.
If you have an extensive irrigation system, you don’t have to completely set it to parts. However, drain all hoses to prevent them from freezing throughout the winter.
2. Insulate your shed
If your shed is made out of steel, it’s vital that it’s well insulated so that your gardening supplies don’t freeze over in the cold months that are coming. Steel building insulation is not easy to do on your own, so make sure to call professionals. Although this is not a gardening project, it is crucial to do so that your tools remain safe and ready to use once the spring season comes.
3. Clean the garden
By the summer’s end, most gardens consist of wilting plants and growing weeds. Spending more effort in the garden now, preparing for winter, pays off with fewer issues next spring. You can treat it so that it has fewer pests and less disease and weeds in the spring.
As long as they have a warm place to hide and enough to eat, insects can survive the winter in garden trash. By removing the dead, dying, and sick plants that serve as their home and food source, you can prevent many potential issues in the future.
Diseases such as late blight may survive the winter on garden foliage and fruit. When spring arrives, it will be much harder to get rid of them.
Remove all the weeds you can see. So many people simply rip the top layer off and call it good. Don’t do this! Just think of the branching, spread-out fibrous weed roots under your garden. Instead, you should dig up the plant by the roots.
In the absence of any visible evidence of illness, you may compost your dead vegetable plants. Be cautious not to put unhealthy plants in your compost since the bugs might survive the winter there.
4. Mulch the perennials
Assuming plants can survive the winters where you are, perennials will return in their full glory once spring comes. Preparing hardy plants for winter won’t take much work on your part. But beware of frost heave if the soil in your region is so cold that the soil freezes. This implies that plants, particularly young ones with little roots, are literally pushed upwards and out of the earth by the soil.
Mulch your perennials with 6 inches of chopped leaves, straw, or another material to protect them from the cold. If you don’t receive consistent snowfall throughout the winter, this will assist keep the ground at a more consistent temperature.
Leave the plant’s dead leaves on until next spring; they may protect its crown and roots from the cold. If winter kills your perennials, you may chop them down to the ground if you want a neater landscape.
5. Test and feed the soil
The soil requires sustenance just as much as the plants, and fall is a great time to take a sample and discover what it’s missing in your garden. Many popular soil feeds need time during the winter to fully break down and be absorbed. Fortifying your soil after a long growing season is essential for preparing it for the spring planting ahead.
Soil tests may be purchased at a low cost both online and in every well-stocked gardening shop. Find out whether you need to add fertilizers by testing the pH level of your soil.
6. Have a great fall season
It’s essential to stop and appreciate the beautiful weather while tending to your garden. Low humidity makes outdoor labor more bearable. Take in the sights and feel the sunshine as it warms your skin. Inhale the earth’s clean scent and relax. After all, your garden is there to enjoy to the fullest, so why not do so?
