You're like me? A sad end to the summer, but at the same time relieved that there is one less task. The weeding, watering, pruning, and more weeding is over for the year, and with a few more chores to do, the outdoor gardening year is coming to a close. Most of what needs to be done is a matter of cleaning and covering. Practical steps to prepare your outdoor garden for winter include:
1. Plant protection. There are different opinions on whether to cut down or leave the plants standing over the winter. Here on the prairies, most people leave their perennials standing for a variety of reasons. In particular, the capture of the snow cover is important for plant protection and moisture retention. Snow cover acts like a good mulch by insulating the soil. The many perennial stems and seed heads are also very attractive for winter interest and provide food for birds. After the soil freezes, mulch perennials and shrub beds with pine needles, compost, peat or chopped leaves. This protects the soil and plant roots and mitigates the effects of extreme temperature changes during winter freeze-thaw periods.
2. Garden cleaning. Harvest warm season crops such as tomatoes even when they are still green. Lie on the windowsills; or layer in boxes with newspaper between layers of tomatoes. They will ripen slowly or you can use the green tomatoes for fried green tomatoes or various green tomato recipes. Remove any remaining crops or spent annuals; clean up any remaining debris and weeds to reduce the chance of disease problems in the spring.
3. Evaluation of your garden design. Before you begin winterizing your garden, take a few minutes to review what worked and what didn't, and note areas you'd like to change in the spring.
4. Prepare the soil for early spring sowing. Turn the garden soil over late in the season and add organic matter such as leaves, compost or well-rotted manure. In the spring, light raking is enough.
5. Care of trees and lawns. Protect the tender bark of young trees from rabbits and rodents by wrapping stems or trunks with chicken wire or commercial tree protection products. To prevent rodents from nesting near buildings and trees, cut tall grass and remove weeds. Water trees and shrubs deeply so they go into winter well hydrated. Do not prune shrubs and trees as this can stimulate new growth just before severe weather. Mow lawns and fertilize, if desired, with a low-nitrogen "winter" mix. Use grass clippings for mulch or compost. Never send them to a landfill as they make excellent lawn fertilizer (as long as they are not too long) and/or make great compost/mulch dug right into the garden or used on paths. Once it rots in the garden paths, dig into the garden and replace with new grass clippings.
6. Planting before winter. Now is the time to plant bulbs. Garden centers offer many varieties suitable for prairies. Remember: buy quality, because cheap is not better - the bigger the bulb - the bigger the flower. Look for plumpness, firmness, clear skin and finish. Planting instructions are included in the package.
7. Composting. Compost dead plant debris, including leaves. Leaves are a valuable natural resource. Rather than a nuisance, they are the best soil conditioner and great mulch. Leaves require very little effort to be recycled into a great soil conditioner – leaf mold – for the yard and garden. You can make leaf mold the same way nature does. Stack wet leaves and wait for them to decompose, or tear the leaves into smaller pieces before stacking. If you wish, you can enclose the pile with chicken wire, a snow fence, or something similar. In the spring, I rake the dry leaves and dig them straight into the vegetable garden.
8. Cleaning tools. Clear the soil of all your gardening tools, oil all wooden handles and moving parts, sharpen all knives, then store them in a dry place for the winter.
9. Water gardening. Bring pumps, drain, clean, refill (if necessary) and store fragile aquatic plants before freezing.
10. Bring your houseplants. Before bringing in houseplants that spent the summer outside, inspect them for critters, wash them, and spray them with soapy water or insecticidal soap. When transplanting plants, use sterilized soil purchased from garden centers or shopping centers. Do not use garden soil as it may contain insects, weed seeds, diseases and fungi.
You must be logged in to post a comment.