How to protect your garden in the winter

During the coldest months, don’t forget to tend to your plants the same way you take precautions to stay warm. In spite of how your garden seems to be dormant as the weather cools and the ground freezes, there’s still a lot going on beneath the surface. Plants can survive the colder months, but there are still a few steps you can take to make sure they do.

To ensure a successful growing season next spring, protect your garden as early as November. After the work you put into your garden in the spring, summer, and fall, it’s your duty to protect it against the harsh elements of winter.

5 WAYS TO PREPARE YOUR GARDEN FOR WINTER

1. Cover with mulch

Mulch works wonders for gardens any time of year and is an essential winter care item. Mulch acts as a blanket for the garden when temperatures drop. Soil is kept consistently cold, preventing disrupted freeze-thaw cycles. Additionally, mulch provides insulation for marginally hardy plants and helps retain soil moisture.

2. Water plants even in winter

A common misconception is that gardens don’t need to be watered because of the weather. Leaving your plants unwatered can cause the soil to dry out and the plants to die. If you can, prepare for frigid weather by irrigating your plants at least 24 hours in advance.

Remember to take care of your pumps as well. Don’t allow them to freeze and move ceramic watering systems indoors as soon as they’ve been drained.

3. Relocate potted plants 

The right steps can make cold weather gardening safe, but not all plants are resistant to frost. Dahlias and gladiolus, for instance, can be root hardy but not shoot hardy. With the first frost, they’ll usually fall to the ground. Their roots, tubers, and bulbs, however, should survive to produce new shoots next spring. You can move potted plants into a cold greenhouse or cold frame or place them in a warmer part of the garden.

4. Remove diseased plants and leave the rest in place

Some plants can be left in place to rot and add nutrients to the soil, but there’s also a risk of diseased plants spreading pests and fungi. Remove them. Alternatively, spent crops, when left in place throughout the winter, will reduce soil erosion and protect the soil. Pollinators can also use them as homes over the winter.

5. Wrap the trunks of sensitive trees

For trees with thin or smooth barks, wrapping the trunk just before the onset of winter may prevent southwest injury. Typically, this type of damage occurs on portions of the trunk exposed to the warm afternoon sun that are damaged by freezing and thawing. Commercially available protective materials are available for preventing young, thin-barked trees from winter sunscald. When spring arrives, remove trunk wraps to prevent damage.

A professional is your best bet when it comes to making sure your garden remains healthy throughout winter. Contact local landscapers and gardeners to do the work for you.

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