The sun is beginning to shift, the days are getting shorter, and the time has come to start preparing your garden for Winter. Below I have listed some basic Winter gardening tips to follow:
Remember to water
One of the easiest things to forget when it begins to rain is to continue to water. In this respect, Winter gardening is a lot like gardening throughout the other seasons. Whilst your garden will not need as much help from you when it comes to watering, in our Australian climate and with climate change we often have a drier than usual Winter. The key to remember is that if your topsoil is dry, your garden could do with some water.
One important thing to do (which was new to me when I began gardening) is try to water in the morning. This ensures that both your soil and your plants can dry off before the evening. This will reduce the potential for fungal disease to develop. If you want healthy plant growth, keep to this rule.
Continue to fertilise
Just as important as continuing to water in Winter is to continue fertilising your garden. Your plants will love you!
The key here is that you will need a different fertiliser to what you used during the warmer months. Using Potash will help your plants develop a beautiful deep green leaf and will help to encourage plant strength.
Lay down some mulch
Start preparing now to avoid those dreaded weeds.
To decrease the number of weeds popping up in your garden you can try mulching. If you choose to mulch before Winter sets in and your soil is still quite dry, use some weed killer prior to mulching if you cannot remove them by the root. If you would like to do this in Winter, as with your lawn weeds you should wait until after it rains so the weeds come out a lot easier – roots and all.
I don’t believe you will ever get rid of all the weeds – even through mulching and weed mats – but mulching will reduce the amount in your garden and allow them to be removed a lot more easily.
Prune back your plants
This is the perfect time to cut back your trees, flowers, and hedges as they lay dormant.
Pruning can be tricky – especially if it’s your first time. But don’t be afraid: if your tree or your shrub has dead branches or is growing in a direction you wish it wasn’t, cut it back. Both you and your plant will be satisfied with the result.
Roses are best done in July, but if you’re in a colder climate you should wait until August to avoid frost as the cold can damage new shoots. Pruning your roses helps reduce disease and allows more light in. Always prune from the top and you will have many more new shoots.
Continuing to water and fertilise your plants in Winter will allow them to develop excellent plant strength to take them through the warmer months.
Take care of your lawn
If you have lawn in your garden, remember to aerate your soil. This can be done simply with a pitchfork, allowing the water to reach deep into the roots as grass can often pool water and by the growing season you will have a rich green lawn.
Remember that along with the Winter rain, we also get more weeds. Keep an eye on your grass and if you see some weeds, pull them out after the rain when the ground is soft to prevent them from spreading.
Plant some vegetables early
If you have a vegetable patch but haven’t planted yet, now is the time to begin planting your Winter vegetables.
Remember they need sun to thrive and the current warmth will help them germinate and grow.
There are many great vegetables for your Winter garden: snow peas, spinach, broccoli, lettuce and many more. Do some research for your climate and, of course, for those vegetables you will enjoy on your plate.
Follow these simple tips and you will be able to enjoy your garden any time of the year, with as little maintenance as possible. Keep on top of watering your lawn and plants, as well as maintaining their health with fertilisation, pruning and mulching, and your garden will be healthy throughout the colder months and will bloom in Spring.
Happy Winter Gardening!
