8 Simple Steps to Preparing your Garden for Winter

As the temperature drops and leaves fall, most people will turn their attention to the upcoming winter season. To make sure that you or your garden thrives this winter, try these tips to ensure a successful crop in the cold.

Why Would You Need To Protect Your Plants In Winter?

With the cold weather still hanging out, what better time to protect your plants than now? Although it is not recommended that you harden off your plants before the start of winter, there are some benefits to doing so.

About Winter Hardiness

Winter hardiness refers to the ability of a certain plant or crop to survive in cold conditions. It is typically classified by its zone, which is a region’s climate zone. The higher the zone number, the colder it can get before damage occurs.

Zones are the numbers which represent climate on a scale of 1-9. The first number represents the lowest winter temperatures that a certain region has experienced, while the higher the number, the colder it gets. As such, a zone 9 garden will be very hardy and able to withstand extremely cold conditions.

Preventing Insufficient Water during Winter

Although it may seem like a good idea to withhold your plants from receiving any water, doing so could result in the death of your flowers and vegetables. Aside from luring liquid away from the roots of your plants, overwatering can cause rot. As weather turns colder, pests will become active and more likely to churn through your garden. Here are some preventative tips that will help you keep pests at bay.

Tips For Protecting Plants

If you live in a moderately cold climate, winter is right around the corner. And with it comes the joys of struggling to keep your garden nice and healthy through the cold months! But don’t worry — we have 8 simple steps that can make this process a lot less painful. Let’s take a look.

1. Fill containers with water and cover them to protect from frost.
2. Mulch plants thoroughly to insulate roots against the cold, icy ground. 
3. Tidy up plants so they don’t snap under their own weight when they are lifted off the ground during a freeze (usually January-February).
4. Get rid of all the dead leaves by raking and bagging them for the compost heap.
5. Stop watering plants about two weeks before a freeze to reduce the likelihood of water freezing inside plant tissue and causing damage.
6. Cover or bring in any vulnerable plants, such as tomatoes, herbs or other warm season crops that are now at risk. 
7. For night protection, wrap warm season crops with blankets or horticultural fabric sheets. Remove each morning to prevent overheating during the day. 
8. If you don’t have experience with frost-tolerant crops, remove all plants that could be damaged by cold weather.

Remember: Plants aren’t machines, and they can’t function or survive without you.  In the winter time it is important to know what plants are most susceptible to cold damage and then make sure that you are watching over them carefully.  If you do this properly, your garden will be fine and healthy for next year!

Bottom line

These simple 8 steps will allow you to enjoy your garden during the cold months without having to worry about it!