Four Jobs You Should be Doing in Your Garden Over Autumn and Winter
As the nights draw in and the weather starts to turn, we can all be guilty of paying a little less attention to our beloved gardens. However, the autumn and winter months are a pivotal part of the gardening calendar. There are several winter gardening tasks you can do to ensure spring gardening success.
There are plenty of cold weather tasks to keep your outdoor space in prime condition for when spring arrives. Here are four of the most important cold-weather chores you can do, allowing you to enjoy your garden all year round.
Clear Dead Plants and Leaves
Autumn and winter are times of rest and rejuvenation in the garden. Clearing dying plants or wilted leaves is key to allowing your outdoor space to prepare for future growth in the spring.
Releasing these expired elements back into your soil is an excellent way of providing nutrient-rich material that can continue to nourish your soil throughout the year. If you follow the simple practice of removing dead plant materials and turning them into compost, this small task can lead to great results in a few short months.
Winter Gardening Tasks: Protect Bulbs
Who doesn't love seeing beautiful blooms in the springtime? While you are sure to be delighted with the results when they bloom, don't forget that once flowering has finished for the season, it's time to dig up those bulbs and store them until spring. To do so properly, make sure to find a cool, dry place to store them. Basements work well. Ideal storage conditions will ensure your bulbs stay happy until it's time to replant next year.
If you didn’t dig up your bulbs in the spring after blooming, be sure to dig them up before the forest frost. Bulbs left in place past the first frost may rot. If you avoid doing this winter gardening task, you'll be forced to buy new bulbs in the spring.
Keep Bird Feeders Full
It’s not just your garden that needs a bit of extra attention during the winter months. The birds that like to stop by for a quick snack are even more reliant on feeders in our gardens at this time of year. Foods in their staple diet become harder to come by in the winter months.
To keep their fat reserves up during the colder seasons, garden birds require food with high energy content. The RSPB recommends feeding them regularly during autumn and winter and putting food and water out twice a day in severe weather if possible.
Check and Repair Garden Structures, One of the Most Critical Winter Gardening Tasks
As the weather starts to turn, it’s important to pay close attention to the structural elements in your garden as well as the flora and fauna. Strong winds, heavy rain or snow, frosts and ice can all pose a threat to the structural integrity of fences, sheds, gazebos and many other crucial structures in your garden.
Be sure to keep a close eye on these features. Check for signs of damage or wear. Noticing and dealing with any issues early can help you to avoid having to make more difficult and costly repairs in the future.
