Is Your Garden Ready for Winter?

November is your last chance to do any digging and planting, as the ground is not yet too waterlogged or frozen to dig. So if you have one, do the following ten things to get your garden ready for winter.

Harvest your autumnal veggies.

Autumn is a great time to harvest carrots, parsnips, cauliflower, some cabbages and endive. If you have any of these, gather them up and make some outstanding soups, stews and casseroles.

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Plant things that will pop up in early spring.

These include onions, garlic, broad beans and tulips. They all like to spend the winter in the ground, though you may want to think about getting the tools and items that help you frost-proof them soon.

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Remove the canes and supports that your summer plants used.

Clear out the supports and canes that aren’t being used, and store them in a dry place. You want to keep them in good condition for next summer, and keeping them dry and straight is essential for that.

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Winter-proof the roots of container plants.

You need to think about the roots of your container plants. If you aren’t planning on bringing them indoors, you still need to protect them from winter weather. Raise pots up on pot feet or bricks to allow water to drain out of the pots easily, and wrap pots in an insulating material (apparently bubble wrap works amazingly well) to keep the plants from freezing.

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Rake up leaves and dispose of them appropriately.

Raking leaves can be tedious, but it has to be done. You can either bag them up and leave them out for rubbish collection, or you can make a compost bin for them. Leaves can be used create a leaf mould that makes soil more nutritious for plants, and you can learn more about making leaf mould here.

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Plan ahead for spring.

If you like the think ahead, now is the time to start planning. Order your seed catalogues, and start thinking about what you want to plant and where it should go.

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Prepare your garden’s soil.

When the soil gets waterlogged or freezes over winter, you can’t dig in it without damaging the soil structure. So if you have some plans for next spring, go ahead and get your plot ready for those plans. Pull up weeds and old  plants that won’t survive winter. Cover bare soil with compost, leaf mould or manure to protect it from the winter rains and give it a nutrient boost in time for spring. You can also cover soil with a plastic sheet to give it extra protection.

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Start feeding the animals over winter.

Remember to set out birdseed and other food to draw animals to your garden. Food is hard to come by in winter, so you will have no problem attracting loads of birds, squirrels and other fauna to your garden. You may even get a few nesting down to have babies when spring comes!

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But protect plants from winter pests.

You want to make sure animals are eating the seeds and other food you put out for them, not your plants, so make sure to protect your plants from pests. Cover brassicas with netting if pigeons are a problem, and put grease bands around the trunks of your fruit trees to keep moths from eating the leaves.

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Have a bonfire.

As great as leaf mould and other composting methods are, you may prefer to create a bonfire with your leaves and garden detritus. Make sure you are allowed to do it, then invite a few friends around and have a (safe) party.

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If you do these ten things, you will have a garden that is ready for winter and eager for spring. What are you going to do in your garden this November?