Gardening is a year around chore. Garden maintenance duties do not end when summer has finally faded away. In order for your garden to be in good condition for the following year, it is imperative that you take precautionary steps to winterize it for cooler temperatures to come, regardless of where you live.
The first step in preparing your garden for winter is to rake up all dead leaves that have fallen to the ground. If you have decided to construct your own compost pile, be sure to save these leaves for your first layer, because autumn is the best time to get started on your compost pile for next year’s garden.
At this point you should also clean up any dead plants and vegetation. This can be placed in with the other material for your compost pile, provided that none of the plants are diseased. Adding diseased material and plants to your compost pile could contaminate it, which will only cause further problems down the road. If you notice any diseased weeds or foliage, be sure to throw it in the trash instead of the compost bin.
The next step in winterizing your garden is to cut back any stems that are dry and remove any diseased leaves and stems from plants. Remember that these should be tossed directly into the trash. Roses should be trimmed or pruned back by about six inches. Any stems that cross one another should be completely removed. In order to protect the roots of these delicate plants, be sure to add some mulch; but only do so after the ground has frozen. This will keep small animals and rodents from burrowing down inside the mulch in an effort to stay warm. Although mulch is widely available at garden and supply stores, materials you have around your home, such as straw and dried bark will work equally as well for mulching material. Follow the same steps for your bulb and perennial beds.
Now, spend some time concentrating on your bushes and trees. Any dead areas should be cut away from trees, shrubs and vines. Make sure you cut all stems at an angle. This pruning will ensure healthy blooming when spring arrives again.
Once your garden area has been cleaned up, it is time to devote some attention to your gardening tools so that they will be protected during the cooler months to come and ready for service when spring arrives. This is a good time to have your tools sharpened and take care of any nicks that may have occurred during the spring and summer gardening seasons. Make sure that you take the time as well to clean your tools properly.
This is especially important if you used your gardening tools to handle any diseased plants. You can easily spread disease from this year’s plants to next year’s vulnerable plants by failing to clean your tools properly. Once they are cleaned, store them in a safe and dry location for next year.
