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| Garden with some tulips and narcissus (Photo credit: Wikipedia) |
Many amateur gardeners see the winter as a time to take respite from their garden, away from the cold and wet weather that freezes our hands and damages our plants. After all, what is the point in spending our time and efforts in the garden if Jack Frost is going to take it all away in one harsh, cold night?
In actuality, gardening in winter is crucial if you want to keep your garden healthy throughout the year. Protecting plants from the frost, harvesting winter produce and pruning dormant trees are all essential jobs to make the transition to spring and summer all that easier.
As well as conducting essential maintenance, winter is the perfect time to take a look at your garden landscape and plan any changes for the upcoming year. Do you need to rotate your crops? Perhaps your land is looking a bit barren, maybe some more evergreens would benefit for the following year? What seeds should you be ordering in?
If you've been gardening for a few years, answering these questions come as second nature, making annual gardening almost instinctual. For those just starting to try their hands manipulating nature, here are some tips to help you prepare your garden for the following year.
Wysteria and fruit trees such as apples and pears should be pruned now while they're still dormant, as leaving them too late will lead to sap bleeding and can hinder growth.
Hardy evergreen hedges can be pruned now to encourage spring growth, whilst conservatory climbers can be pruned to prevent birds from nesting. Roses and any plants showing signs of damage from frost should also be cut back to encourage new healthy shoots.
Digging over the soil with manure, fertilizer or compost is a great way of preparing the ground for spring planters, and will also turn up any weeds and pests which can damage your new plants. Once the soil has been dug over, mulch lightly to keep in nutrients and moisture until the weather has warmed up for planting.
Once the ground reaches 6 degrees C, you can encourage spring seedlings by warming the ground with cloche and planting, although make sure you protect them from cold nights with frost fleece.
If your worried plants won't make it this early, start them indoors and gradually bring them outside for one day, then two days, and so on - this allows them to get used to the sun and rain whilst still growing strong from the warmer indoor weathers.
For more tips, make sure you check out the Hartley-Botanic blog as they provide monthly gardening guides that highlight what to do in the garden each month. For more advice go to http://www.hartley-botanic.co.uk Article Source: EzineArticles |
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