19 Must-Do Tasks to Winterize Your Garden!

As winter approaches, it’s essential to prepare our gardens for the cold months ahead. Before we cozy up indoors, let’s tackle some key tasks to ensure our gardens remain good throughout the winter.

But how to prepare garden for winter? Firstly, cleaning up and clearing out debris is crucial. Removing dead plants, fallen leaves, and weeds not only tidies up the garden but also prevents pests and diseases. Next, we need to protect our perennial plants. Mulching around their base helps insulate their roots from freezing temperatures.

These simple steps can make a big difference when you grow plants in your garden in winter. Would love to hear in detail? Let’s dive in!

Why You Should Make Your Garden Ready Before Winter?

Preparing your garden before winter sets in is essential. Here are a couple of concise reasons why you should make your garden ready before winter:

• Protecting Plants: Winter can be harsh on plants, especially those that are not suited to cold temperatures. By preparing your garden beforehand, you can protect your plants from frost, snow, and ice, ensuring they survive the winter months.
• Preventing Damage: Dead leaves, debris, and overgrown branches left unattended can cause damage to your garden during winter. By cleaning up and clearing out before winter arrives, you can prevent potential damage to plants, structures, and soil.
• Setting the Stage for Spring: A well-prepared garden in winter sets the stage for a successful spring. By taking care of tasks such as soil preparation, pruning, and protecting perennials, you are laying the groundwork for a healthy and vibrant garden once the warmer weather returns.

19 Things to Do in the Garden Before Winter

Don’t let your garden slumber unprepared! Winter’s on its way, but a little prep now can ensure a thriving spring. Here’s what to tackle:

1. Clear Away Debris: Thoroughly remove dead or dying annuals, vegetables, and perennials. Cut back dead foliage, stems, and flower heads. Completely remove diseased or pest-infested plants to prevent issues next year. Rake up all fallen leaves, twigs, fruits, etc.
2. Remove Weeds: Hand-pull or use a hoe to remove weeds, getting down to the roots if possible. Remember, weeds can harbor pests and diseases over winter.
3. Perennials (Encourage New Growth): Use clean, sharp pruners to cut back perennials to 3-6 inches from the ground. For perennials like peony, rudbeckia, and artemisia, leave 2-3 inches. Avoid pruning fresh spring growth.
4. Trees and Shrubs (Maintain Shape and Health): Remove any dead, diseased, or damaged branches using proper pruning techniques. Thin out inner branches for improved structure and air circulation, but avoid heavy pruning.
5. Mulch Magic (Insulate and Retain Moisture): Apply a 4-6 inch layer of mulch like wood chips, bark, leaves, or straw over the root zone of perennials, trees, and shrubs, extending out to the drip line. Avoid piling mulch directly against stems or trunks.
6. Cover Tender Plants: For non-hardy plants, bundle the tops together and tie with twine. Surround them with leaves or straw, then cover them completely with burlap. Alternatively, move containerized plants to an unheated garage for the winter.
7. Wrap Tree Trunks/Shrubs: Use commercial tree wrap or burlap strips to wrap and protect the bark and upper stems/trunks of young trees and delicate shrubs. This helps prevent frost cracks, sunscald, and rodent damage.
8. Winterize Roses: After pruning canes down 12-24 inches, mound soil, mulch, or leaves over the crown to insulate the rose bushes.
9. Aerating Soil: Use a garden fork to pierce holes 6-8 inches deep and 6 inches apart across the soil. For larger areas, consider renting a core aerator. Aeration prevents compaction and allows for better air circulation.
10. Adding Compost/Manure: Mix in 2-4 inches of compost or aged manure into the top 6-8 inches of soil. This adds organic matter that feeds beneficial microbes in the soil.
11. Protecting Soil: Apply a 2-3 inch layer of mulch, chopped leaves, or salt marsh hay over bare spots in garden beds. This helps prevent erosion and nutrient leaching from the soil.
12. Cover Crops: Plant winter-hardy cover crops like winter rye, clover, or vetch. These plants add nitrogen and organic matter back to depleted soils.
13. Cleaning Tools: Use a stiff brush or rag to remove caked-on dirt and debris from shovels, trowels, pruners, etc. Steel wool can be used for tough areas.
14. Sharpening (Ensure a Clean Cut): Use a sharpening stone or power tool to sharpen dull blades on pruners, shears, hoes, shovels, etc. for a clean cut next season.
15. Sanding/Oiling: Sand any wooden handles to remove splinters, then wipe down metal parts with an oiled rag to prevent rust during winter storage.
16. Repairs (Fix or Replace Broken Tools): Don’t wait until spring! Replace cracked, broken, or bent tools. Tighten loose nuts/bolts and replace parts as needed.
17. Irrigation (Prevent Freezing and Cracking): Drain any irrigation lines, hoses, watering wands, or rain barrels and store them in a garage or shed for winter to prevent freezing and cracking.
18. Water Shut Off (Avoid Burst Pipes): Locate exterior spigots/hose bibs and turn off the interior shut-off valves. Then, open the spigot to drain lines and allow them to dry out completely.
19. Furniture Storage (Protect Your Patio Furniture): Clean cushions and store them indoors. For metal furniture, apply a light coating of weatherproof grease to prevent rust.

Want to take more advice? See the video of garden winter care!

FAQs

Want to know more? Check out these queries and answers about preparing the garden before winter!

Q: When should I start preparing my garden for winter?

A: While the exact timing depends on your climate, you generally want to begin prepping your garden for winter in late fall, a few weeks before the first frost.

Q: What about bulbs and tubers in winter?

A: Some tender bulbs like dahlias and cannas must be dug up and stored over winter. Garlic, on the other hand, is a bulb that gets planted in the fall for harvest next spring.

Q: Should I add anything to my soil in the fall?

A: Yes! Amending your soil with compost or manure in the fall allows the nutrients to soak in over winter, enriching the soil for spring planting. You can also add a layer of mulch on top of the compost for added protection.

Q: How can I give my garden a head start for spring planting during the winter months?

A: Plan your spring garden indoors and start seeds indoors for early transplants. Amend soil with compost, add mulch for warmth, and build cold frames for early planting outdoors.

Final Word

So there you have it, gardeners to prepare it in winter! With a bit of effort now, you can rest assured knowing your beloved outdoor space will survive the winter. All it takes is some strategic pruning, mulching, and cleaning for your plants to hibernate.

Embrace the changing seasons and give your green thumbs a well-deserved break. And I promise, with these must-do tasks completed, the garden will look lively for sure!