Autumn Tips for Preparing Your Garden for Winter

Even though the cooler weather is here and winter is approaching, you aren’t done in your garden yet. Like most gardeners, you have probably spent quite a bit of time in the spring preparing your garden.

Then, in the summer, you reaped the benefits of having a garden and harvested your vegetables. Well, during the fall, it’s time to prepare your garden for the winter. This might seem pointless since you don’t plant vegetables in the winter, but it can make spring next year easier on you.

Autumn Tips for Preparing Your Garden for Winter

Clean Up

It’s time to clean up your garden to prepare it for winter. You will want to inspect your old plants to make sure they aren’t diseased or have pests living in them. If they have pests or diseases, you will want to remove them completely.

If they seem free of diseases and pests, you can plant them into your soil. Burying old plants in your soil can help prevent pest growth in the springtime and it can also help keep your soil healthy.

Weed Free

Weeds are annoying to anyone, gardeners especially. If you have any invasive weeds that have taken over parts of your garden this season, you should remove them. Removing them completely will make it harder for new ones to sprout next year.

Greenhouse Maintenance

If you have a greenhouse in your garden, you’ll need to perform some maintenance on that as well. Because the days become shorter in the fall, you’ll want to increase the amount of sunlight your plants are getting.

You can increase the amount of sunlight by removing any shades you may have. You can also clean the glass as well, this will allow more sun to come in because there won’t be dirt or dust particles blocking the sun.

Since you can grow certain vegetables during the winter, you should clean your greenhouse out before planting. You want to replace and fix any broken glass, clear the gutters and sweep inside.

You should work on removing any pests as well. Remove all of your good plants before you begin sweeping and disinfecting inside your greenhouse. After cleaning out your greenhouse, you should allow it to air out for a couple of days before placing your plants back inside.

Composting

If you have a compost, now is the perfect time to turn your heap and let it sit over the winter. You should also try and add as much as you can to your heap, this will give you a head start next spring. You’ll want to start planting some of your compost now to help enrich your soil.

Mulch

Many people add mulch to their gardens during the summer, and it is a good thing to do. But did you know there are also benefits to adding a nice thick layer of mulch for the winter?

If you add thick layers of mulch for the winter, it can actually help keep your soil safe from the harsh temperature changes that happen in the fall and winter. It will act as a protective barrier and keep our moisture from snow and regulate temperatures.

Take Care of Your Tools

Many people know that their tools need to be kept in good shape, but it can be difficult to maintain them during the summer and spring when you are doing so much gardening. The fall is a great time for you to take a day and sharpen your tools, clean them, and oil them as well if it’s needed.

Prune

There are certain plants you may want to prune during the fall. Some of these plants include thyme, rhubarb, and sage. But you should be careful, there are some plants that will benefit more if you prune during the other seasons.

Start Planting

You can even start to plant bulbs you have for next spring, if you do it early enough in the fall. If you plant them early enough, they can start to establish in your soil before the cold weather hits. Planting in the fall can give you a head start on the spring.

Lawn Loving

Your lawn requires some love as well during the fall. You shouldn’t cut your lawn as often, since it will take longer to grow in the colder months. You should rake out any dead grass, leaves, and moss. These things will keep your grass looking lush and green in the spring and summer.

Cover Up

If you have a pond or other body of water, you should cover it up before the weather gets too cold. You may also want to cover up any furniture you have in your garden or backyard since it won’t be getting any use until next year. This can help keep it safe from the weather. You can also place them in a shed or garage if you have the space.