Top 10 Tips For Winter Gardening and Garden Maintenance

Many plants are decreasing their development rates as a result of the temperature dip and will eventually go dormant, although this is not true of all plants. There will be more weeds than ever! Winter is a perfect time to prune your trees and shrubs, plant annual bulbs, plan for the upcoming season, and ensure your irrigation system is functioning correctly.

You can engage in numerous activities in a garden throughout the winter. This might surprise you, particularly if you reside in a colder climate. However, there are always outside gardening chores that require attention. Naturally, you want to steer clear of any blunders in your winter garden.

Here are some tips for winter gardening that can help you stay on track until spring starts.

Things to Do with your Garden in Winters

Expert advice on winter gardening typically concentrates on trees. This makes sense since gardeners frequently spend the other three seasons tending to and developing flowers, vegetables, and shrubs.

• Aim for at least six weeks before the ground freezes when planting young trees in the early winter.
• Make sure to water the newly transplanted seedlings regularly to give them the best chance of surviving.
• If there is little snowfall, keep watering all winter long whenever the earth thaws.
• You can assist shield those young roots from temperature swings and frost heave by covering the base of the tree with a 2- to 3-inch layer of mulch or compost.
• Trimming deciduous trees in the winter is a great idea as well.
• The branches can be seen once the leaves have fallen.
• Cut back any damaged limbs as soon as you can if an ice storm causes damage to the trees.
• Pick up fallen debris regularly to prevent the springtime task from becoming too much.

Top 10 Tips for Winter Gardening

1. Plan your Next Season Gardening

We think back on how our gardens have grown during the winter and look for suggestions for what we may do the following year differently. Look for answers to your soil-improving problems and any other garden-related problems. List all the novel plants you want to test. Take care of these now since you’ll want to get outside in the garden once spring arrives.

2. Split the Winter between Parts

Winter has a start, a middle, and an end. These mini-seasons all suit various plants with varying degrees of appeal. For instance, certain winter-blooming plants could only be visually appealing in the first few weeks of winter. Others might wait until winter temperatures begin to rise again as spring approaches before blossoming. It could be necessary to use a variety of plants to cover each mini-season if you want anything to bloom all winter long.

3. Eliminate Weeds

The worst enemy is weeds! Eliminating weeds and cleaning up your garden beds is one of the first tasks for your winter garden. Your plants suffer when weeds compete with them for nutrients and dirt, leaving them to decay. Be sure to get rid of all weeds, withered plants, and autumn-fallen leaves and branches.

4. Include Compost, Fertiliser, And Mulch

We advise covering your garden beds with a layer of organic mulch that is 75 to 100 mm thick. Mulch can reduce the requirement for watering in the winter by up to 60% by helping to conserve warmth and moisture and thwart weeds’ growth.

5. Get More Compost and Fertilizer for Your Gardner

Before spring, fertilizer and compost are also wise ideas. Water it in thoroughly so that it can assist your plants as they start to grow once again. Follow the fertilizer application directions carefully, though, since using too much will have the opposite effect and make the soil too acidic for plant growth.

6. Select Seasonal Plants And Flowers

Winter weather doesn’t prevent you from planting, though! Select winter-blooming plants like Viburnums, Lavenders, Daphnes, Raphiolepis, and Salvias that will flower nicely and retain their vigor throughout the winter. It’s also an excellent time of year to plant green crops like lettuce, rocket, and spinach in your winter garden because they’ll be ready to harvest in only a few weeks.

7. Go For Smart Plant Placement

Consider moving a plant to a more visible location if it currently looks nice in the winter garden but isn’t in a place where windows or paths can readily view it. Use evergreen plants and shrubs to hide unattractive views as well, such as a stark fence that might not have been as obvious in the summer.

8. Don’t Ignore the Importance of Pruning

Pruning is crucial, particularly during the chilly winter months. Pruning can help keep your trees looking healthy and appealing for longer by removing dead or diseased wood. Additionally, it lessens the possibility of branches breaking off and causing damage during rain, wind, and storms.

9. Higher Mow

Your lawn will naturally receive less sunlight as the days grow shorter. To maximize photosynthesis and grass growth, raise the lawn mower’s blades a little higher and leave the grass a little taller than usual. Remember to keep an eye out for tree branches obstructing the sun and prune them back if your grass is overly shaded.

10. Keep Up Birdbaths And Heated Water Features

To give birds a source of fresh water over the winter, you may have installed a heater in your pond or bird bath. If so, keep a check on it to make sure it isn’t iced over.

Conclusion:

Your garden may suffer from winter’s cool, rainy weather, so it’s crucial to show it some extra care. However, due to your hectic schedule, you could be too busy to get in the garden or the fact that it must be quite cold outside to work for you; that’s where we can help! Our skilled garden maintenance team works all winter long, so you don’t have to. Contact us at info@dirt2neat.com.au to find out how we can help.