Gardening advice to prepare for winter
As the temperatures drop and we prepare for the winter season, now is the time to get your garden in shape as well. By properly preparing during these mild months, you will enjoy a bright and beautiful garden come spring. If you are not sure where to begin, here is some essential gardening advice for this time of year.
Thorough weeding
Like so many areas of our lives, and homes, the best place to start is with a good clean up. This means taking a look at your garden from one end to the other and removing any weeds and dead or dying plants. This basic bit of gardening advice ensures that you make space for any plants you wish to grow the following season and you will not have too many weeds to contend with when spring arrives.
Bulb planting
The next bit of gardening advice does require some planning. If you want to grow flowers like daffodils, tulips, irises and other bulbs, it is important that they have a rest period during the winter. Choose the right spots in your garden and plant your bulbs with enough space between them to allow for growth in the spring.
Trim your trees
If you have any trees in your garden, you should not neglect this piece of gardening advice! Whether your area receives snow or heavy rain and wind, it is always important to trim your trees so that they don’t pose a risk to people, animals or your property. Cut damaged or very heavy branches so that they do not fall or break unexpectedly during harsh weather conditions.
Add fertilizer
When researching gardening advice, you might find that many professionals state you should fertilize during the growing season. This is a good idea for potted plants but it is not necessarily the case when it comes to your garden. You can definitely add some fertilizer to your garden soil after the bloom season is over. This will replenish the soil and encourage your plants to grow again as soon as the weather warms up. You might think that rain and snow will wash all the nutrients away but this is why you should opt for solid rather than liquid fertilizer. Save the liquid fertilizer for the summer months or for your potted plants instead.
Gardening advice is not only about your plants and flowers. It is also important to consider the well-being of any wildlife in the area. Since winter can prove particularly harsh, it’s important that you leave any nests in place and only cut away plants and trees as is necessary. You want to make sure that birds and other wildlife have somewhere they can call home during the coldest months of the year.