Winter garden prep is essential to ensure a great planting season and an easier new year. Any gardener should know that watering, fertilizing, and keeping their plants in the proper sunlight are the key to the best garden possible, but these aren't the only necessary steps to prepare for winter. Here are five ways to get your garden ready for winter.
1. Get Rid of the Diseased
If any of your plants are diseased or have pests, you may think that leaving them to die out in the garden will at least help add nutrients to the soil. However, the truth is that you're actually more prone to having the disease and pests reinfect your garden come the new season. Protecting your future garden means clipping out diseased or dying leaves, checking for pests, and removing any potential problems.
2. Divide and Replant Your Bulbs
Look over your garden to see if there are signs of overcrowding or less-than-perfect growth, and divide and replant those plants. This is also the perfect time to separate out the bulbs that will have formed and transplant them to a different area of the garden. By getting this all done at the same time, you can rest assured that you're giving your plants and bulbs proper “rest” during the winter for a spectacular spring display.
3. Weed for Winter
You may be wondering, 'Why weed in the winter when everything is about to die?' The truth is, by weeding right before winter, you're removing invasive plants that could colonize. Getting rid of these plants before winter gives you an edge. Remember that tarps can help smother those pesky weeds if you can't dig them up. Composting weeds, conversely, may not kill the weeds and could reinfest your garden, so keep weeds out of the compost.
4. Mulch, Mulch, Mulch
Gardeners should know that mulching isn't just for spring. Winter mulching helps reduce water loss for the plants, keeps weeds at bay, and helps with soil erosion. Gardening mulch can also help stabilize temperatures around your plants. This mulch can break down and help add organic material to your garden throughout the year.
5. Keep Everything Hydrated
Just because summer is over doesn't mean you can stop watering your plants. Your lawn in particular needs plenty of hydration to stay healthy, so be sure to water it every two or three weeks as long as it isn't frozen. According to Angi, experts recommend watering your lawn approximately one inch during each watering session.
Keeping your garden fresh and healthy requires the perfect watering hose, and Teknor Apex has the products you need to water your plants with ease. Check out our selection of lightweight, kink-resistant hoses, and choose the one that best meets your needs
