Winter is the time of year when many people are looking forward to spending more time indoors. However, there are plenty of reasons why you should get outside and garden during the winter months! That way, when spring finally arrives, your hard work will be rewarded with a beautiful yard full of blooming flowers and lush greenery. And it doesn’t have to be all that difficult. Here are some tips for how to garden successfully in winter!
Contents
Plant New Trees
In the first few weeks of winter, the ground is still warm enough to plant new trees! And this means that you can have a tree or two readies by the time spring arrives. It’s also a good time because the tree roots will be able to establish themselves before the heat of summer hits. This allows early birds in your neighborhood to admire them, and it also gives everyone an extended period of anticipation before spring comes!
Plant New Flowers
Early winter is also a great time for planting annuals, in particular because these plants are in their growth cycle already and just need an extra boost to help them flourish early next year! It’s best not to use ornamental bulbs (such as tulips) though since they won’t flower until spring anyway. Planting these flowers at the beginning of winter (like planting new trees) also gives them plenty of time to establish themselves before the heat comes in summer.
Plant New Vegetables
If you’re really keen on getting your garden ready early, then consider planting some veggies too! Although the ground is a little harder to work with at this time of year, many crops are slow-growing (like carrots or onions), so they won’t suffer too much from waiting until next spring for their big moment! Just remember though that these plants will need extra care during winter so make sure you clear away any snow regularly so as it doesn’t weigh down upon them.
Start Seeds Indoors
You can start seedlings indoors earlier than normal so that you don’t miss out on your growing season later this year! Tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, and eggplant all grow well when started during late autumn or early winter. These plants like warm soil temperatures above 20 Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), so it’s good to start them indoors where it’s warm. You can also use grow lights so that they get enough light in the darker winter months.
Cover Plants
If you live in an area with a harsh winter, then cover your plants with some frost cloths before the first snow arrives. This will help protect your plantings from any heavy or prolonged snows which could be harmful to delicate vegetation like flowers and vegetables during this time of year. It might seem counterintuitive given how much we’re all enjoying fresh powder these days, but just think about what happens when there is more than one day of constant snowfall, everything under becomes weighed down by wetness and cold temperatures, leading to dead appearing on otherwise healthy-looking
Make Sure There’s Water
One common mistake when winter gardening is thinking that since everything looks dead, there isn’t any need for watering. But even though plants may look like they’re sleeping during the colder months, they are actually quite alive and require hydration just as much as ever. So make sure you give each one a nice long drink at least once per week, if not more often than that depending on how sunny it is outside.
Prune Overgrown Shrubs
One of the advantages of winter gardening is that it allows you to see when certain plants are overgrown. And when this happens, pruning them can make a huge difference in how they look when spring comes around again! So if your shrubs have been looking messy for a while now, then take advantage of the fact that they’re not sprouting leaves and trim those branches back as much as possible.
Things You Should Not Plant
Ensure that you do not plant any bulbs this time of year because these can be extremely harmful to plants when they are in their growth cycle. Also, avoid planting anything outdoors that flowers or produces fruit that will blossom come spring since waiting so long won’t allow for enough growing time before the weather gets warm enough again. Other things not to plant in winter are things like asparagus and potatoes. These types of plants will survive the winter but won’t grow a lot.
Don’t Let Your Watering System Freeze
If you have a sprinkler system for your plants, then make sure to turn them on every so often throughout the winter. This is especially important in areas where there’s consistent snowfall because when it snows and melts during sunny days (and nights), this water can build up around any equipment that might be near the ground like drip lines or spray heads. So keep an eye out for any ice building up which could damage these systems in colder months.
Do Not Over-Fertilize
There are some people who will try and fertilize their garden through winter but this can actually do more harm than good; particularly if temperatures start getting warmer again as early as March! All of these chemicals sitting in damp soil have the potential to kill all sorts of plants that might not yet be ready to grow due to the colder weather. It also does not do any favors for the microbes in your garden’s soil; many of which are dormant during winter months.
Conclusion
Winter gardening is a great way to keep your green thumb active during colder months and maintain healthy plants for when spring returns. If you are someone who loves gardening, then now is the perfect time to get started! Make sure you follow the Do’s & Dont’s For Winter Gardening as well as any other guidelines listed above if you want to be successful with this activity!
