Get Garden Ready for Winter

When fall is in the air it's the perfect time to get garden ready for winter. There are lots of things you should do to put your garden to sleep soundly and to give it (and yourself) the best start come spring.

Don't leave garden tools out all winter long.

Dealing with Leaves

Probably one of the least enjoyed tasks when getting the garden ready for winter is raking leaves. There always seem to be more leaves every time you turn around, and if you have a good-sized yard with a lot of trees, the task can seem insurmountable.

The best advice for keeping control over the leaf situation is to pay attention to when the leaves start falling. Rake every week from the time they start falling until the trees are bare.

Yes, that takes a lot of time, but it's really better if you rake regularly than if you wait until the trees are bare and then do one marathon raking session. Not only will the job be smaller, it's better for your grass as well.

If you want to use your leaves in the yard, consider mulching them. Shredded leaves can be used as mulch in flower beds, or they can be added to the compost pile, where they will decompose and can help nourish the flower or vegetable garden later on.

Flower Garden Tasks

If you're looking to get your flower garden ready for winter, its time to do some pruning and weeding. Pull up any annuals that have been damaged by the frost, and cut back foliage that is damaged or will start looking ugly when it gets really cold.

If you want, you can keep seed heads and plants that look nice in the winter for added interest in your yard.

Weed the bed once more, and plant any last spring flowering bulbs before the ground freezes. Once the cold is in your yard to stay, add mulch to the beds.

Winter Lawn Care

While you get garden ready for winter, you should also spend some time thinking about your yard. Fall is the time to fertilize with a winterizing fertilizer. Also, if you apply herbicide to kill broadleaf weeds, that should be done in October.

Do your last cutting of the grass and remove any oil or gasoline that is left over in the lawnmower and weed-eater. You might also think about getting a new blade and getting the mower serviced so it is ready to go in the spring.

More Tips to Get Garden Ready for Winter

• Remember to keep watering your plants and shrubs until the ground freezes. Just because there isn't visible growth going on doesn’t mean your plants don't need any assistance.
• If you want to relocate any shrubs or small trees, do it when the leaves have fallen off most of the trees. You can also plant new trees and shrubs now.
• Clear out the vegetable garden, making sure to separate healthy plant material from diseased or infested material. Put the healthy stuff in your compost box. Consider starting a "dirty" compost box for diseased plant stuff, which you could then use on plants that aren't for eating.
• If you don't have a compost pile already, now is the perfect time to start one. Compost is a wonderful addition to your beds, making the soil and the plants healthier while promoting beneficial insects. Just add some green stuff (grass clippings, vegetable matter) to some brown stuff (leaves, dried plants), stir regularly and you'll have black gold of your own.

There are lots of things you'd rather do in the fall than clean up the garden and get it ready for winter. However, doing these tasks during the beautiful fall days ensures a happy and healthy start to the growing season next year. Remember too, raking leaves, putting down mulch and pulling weeds are all really good exercise, which everyone needs a little more of before the holiday season!

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