As winter approaches, many may think their gardening chores have come to an end. But this is not the case. There is a lot to do to get your garden ready for the frost and cold! Here are just a couple of tips to get you started!

Harvest produce

Although it may be a hard pill to swallow, those beautiful summer crops you worked so hard to grow have come to the end of their life.

So you don’t lose any of the produce they worked hard to make for you, make sure to harvest everything that’s left (especially those sensitive to frost) and enjoy the fruits of your summer labors!

Remove any dead or diseased plants

If you’re in a colder climate, now is the time to remove those dead/dying annuals!

These can include some plants that may be perennials in warmer areas but act as annuals in your colder climate.

It’s important to especially get rid of the diseased ones, so they don’t spread the disease to other plants come springtime (most pathogens lay dormant during cold months but will reappear once the climate is favorable again). 

Kill those weeds!

This is the perfect time to nip those garden weeds in the bud!

There are a variety of ways to do this. One way is to just put a layer of newspaper down before you apply mulch to suppress any new weeds.

You can find more methods in our article, “Looking For An Organic Herbicide?”

Improve your soil for next year 

Getting a soil test is very affordable and can be done at your local extension office. You can also get your own at-home kit from any garden center.

You can read more about soil tests in our article, “Organic Garden Planting For Beginners!” Once you know what your soil is lacking, it’s easier to know what amendments to add to your soil. 

One way to do this is by tilling your soil (once all weeds and diseased/dead plants and debris have been removed). 

You can either do this with a rototiller or manually with a garden spade. Rototillers can save your back and be great for making the work go easier and faster, but you just want to be careful that ALL weeds (especially ones that have gone to seed) have been removed before you use it.

Otherwise, you may just be cutting up hundreds of pieces of weeds that will later each sprout into their own weeds all over your garden!  

If you till with a garden spade manually, you’re able to dig in further down than 6”, where an automatic rototiller’s tines typically don’t go down any further than that. Tilling is great for incorporating air, improving drainage, and even getting rid of pests!

Plant cover crops

If you notice some of your summer crops weren’t performing as well, this is a great opportunity to incorporate more organic material into your soil. A great way to do this is by planting cover crops!

Planting specific plants that will remain in your soil throughout the winter will make it easier to incorporate more nutrients, improve soil structure, prevent erosion, and manage weeds.

You’ll want to plant your cover crops at least four weeks before the first frost so they don’t die before it hits.

In spring, before your cover crops start to go to seed, you’ll want to pull them out so they don’t take over your garden. You can add what crops you’ve pulled to your compost or work it into your soil.  You can learn more about what types of cover crops to grow here.

Cut perennials to the ground, or not…

Some perennials do better in winter with their tops intact, while others don’t.

Before deciding whether to cut your perennials down or not, do some research on your plant to see what it does best with.

In cases where you’ve had problems with foliage disease, you’ll probably want to cut it down. And when we say “cut it to the ground”— we mean you’ll want to leave it about 2” above the soil. 

Shut down sprinklers and detach your hose 

This is an important one!

If you want to avoid a nice ice skating rink from forming right where your outdoor faucet is, don’t forget to detach your hose and shut down your sprinklers! 

Protect the plants you love

In the cold winter months, you can salvage certain plants by bringing them inside.

You can pick out the most expensive or hardiest ones. Carefully dig up the plants, making sure you don’t disturb the roots, then transfer them into a pot.

Evergreen, berry-bearing plants provide vibrant color even through the dreary winter months. But even deciduous shrubs should be protected from the elements.

Especially if you have tender little potted shrubs, they need to be protected from the cold weather, and can be—with a winter wigwam!

You can do this by getting some garden canes, planting one end in the ground and tieing the tops of the canes together to create a wigwam. You can then drape a sheet or blanket over the top of the wigwam.

This way is preferred to just covering your plants in plastic because the wigwam allows air to freely circulate, preventing rotting and decay.

Another way to keep your plants safe from the cold in the winter is by getting what they call “season extenders.”

These can include plastic tunnels, row covers, hotbeds, or cold frames. If you have a greenhouse, transferring plants you want to save to your greenhouse is another great way to needed warmth to your plant when it’s cold. 

Keep mowing as long as it keeps growing

In preparation for the winter cold, you’ll want to lower the blade on your lawnmower.

Higher grass shades itself and retains moisture, so keep your grass shorter so you don’t end up with diseased grass.

The way to know when to stop mowing your grass is as simple as this: mow until it stops growing. This usually happens after a few frosts, and after about half of a tree’s leaves have already fallen. 

Plant bulbs—such as tulips, and even garlic for spring blooms 

Some plants that grow from bulbs actually need the freezing temperatures from a winter frost to trigger the process for preparing to flower once spring arrives.

Bulbs are designed to withstand the cold, but if you’re worried, you can always keep them covered with a little mulch 🙂

Cut back on watering, but keep watering plants until the ground freezes

This is the time to cut back on watering, but you’ll want to do one last deep watering of your trees and shrubs since winter frost has either already hit or will be hitting soon!

Perennial plants will stay dormant during the winter, so they won’t need watering during the winter, but you do want to give them a nice good soak before winter.

Keep leaves raked and shred into compost

This is a perfect time to add to your compost! You don’t want wet leaves cluttering your lawn—although they’re a great natural mulch.

Leaves left on your lawn will leave you with bare patches!

If you really want to skip out on the leaf-raking this fall, you can just mow over the leaves when you mow your lawn to shred them, or use a leaf shredder. 

Some cold-hardy plants to consider 

If the now-barren wasteland that was once your prized and lush garden just makes you sad to look at during winter, you can plant cold-hardy plants to give color.

These can include Pansies or Chrysanthemums, or as I mentioned earlier, berry-bearing, evergreen shrubs. 

Mulch to protect from the winter freeze

There are many ways to protect your plants from the cold, as we’ve learned in the points we’ve already mentioned. Mulching your plant beds is another great way to do this.

You’ll want to add about 3” of it and make sure to keep a 6-12” distance from tree trunks and woody stems, (to prevent rotting and the pests that come with it). 

Whether you have plants in your bed or not, mulching your bed will not only moderate the temperature to prevent freezing and thawing of your soil throughout the winter months, it also protects your soil from erosion, and releases nutrients into your soil. 

You’re ready for winter!

With all things, make sure you’re doing what’s best for your garden’s specific situation by doing the necessary research and legwork. By taking these steps, we hope you feel well-prepared to greet winter with the calm assurance that you’ve prepared your garden well for success come spring!