Gardening Tips For The Winter Months

January is full of horrid weather for plants. Sub zero weather with lots of brutal winds, torrential rain, bitter ice and snow. The garden lies dormant waiting to burst out at the first warm rays of spring sunshine. Here are a few tips to make sure your favorite plants survive this winter.

• Do not use salt to clear snow and ice off paths bordered by plants because the salt that can run off and damage the plants. Just haul out the old shovel and get some fresh air and exercise.
• Might want to make a note where your garden is retaining water and you might want to fix this once the weather eases up.
• Take a daily walk around your flowerbeds and spot if there is any snow covering the plants. You may want to gently tap and scrape it away with a pole. Excess weight from the snow can break branches.
• Try not to walk on snow covered gardens. Plants and the edges of lawns can easily break.
• This is a great time to get your equipment repaired, tune up and blades sharpened.
• As soon as weather allow be sure to spray your fruit trees to get rid of winter eggs from pests.
• Be sure to cut down on watering the plants in the greenhouse. They are growing at a s slower rate and need less water or the roots will rot.
• Both plastic and clay pots should be covered. Plastic becomes brittle when cold and can break. Clay pots when frozen may crack.
• Send away for seed and plant catalogues. Sketch out new borders or areas of the garden. Order the seeds.
• If the water freezes, fish are prevented from getting oxygen. Do not try to crack the ice. This might cause shock waves and actually kill the fish. Instead boil a pot of water and put it on top of the ice. You may need to do this a couple of times.
• Make sure your compost has a meshed top or hinged lid to keep rats out who may be drawn to the kitchen scraps.
• Birds are essential to all gardens getting rid of pests. Be sure to supplement their diet over the cold winter months.

A gardener will find no rest in the winter making plans for the new growing season. Plants still need to be cared for as not to suffer winter damage. It is a task gardeners bare with love and much enjoyment all year through.

Reference:

Squire, David. 1993. The Gardening Yearbook. Italy: New Interlitho