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Winter Gardening Tips

Just because its wintertime and the ground is hard and frequently frozen, it doesn’t mean that the garden should be neglected. Now is the time to be preparing so that by the time spring arrives, your garden will already be looking beautiful.

While nature is causing your garden to sleep, take the time to sort out any ‘niggles’. Put a curve in a straight border, paint the bench that has been sitting in the corner looking tired, give your gardening equipment some TLC, and take steps to protect your plants from the inevitable cold temperatures…

Cold Weather & Its Effect

Cold weather can cause damage to your plants and frost in particular, as it causes the water in your plants to freeze. Plants that are becoming damaged by frost are easy to spot as they start to look droopy, lose their colour and look rather sad. Believe it or not, the morning sun causes additional damage to plants that have been affected by frost. The sudden warmth frequently causes them to defrost too quickly, damaging their cells. Even the hardiest plants can be damaged by a prolonged frost. Sometimes the plant roots are unable to drink and the plant ends up dying through the lack of moisture.

Minimise The Damage

Prevention is always better than cure. Choose plants that are more suitable to the climate / area that you live in and any tender plants should be planted under trees or shrubs, or up against a wall, to provide some protection over the winter months. Do not prune over the winter months, the outer leaves and stems will help to protect the heart of the plant and take the hardest part of any frost damage.

Protect Your Plants

Tender plants and bulbs will not survive without some form of protection. Cover your tender bulbs with a thick layer of mulch or straw is an effective way to prevent the ground from freezing. Your evergreen plants will also benefit from the mulch or straw around their base to keep the soil frost free, allowing them to take up moisture in the colder weather and preventing dehydration. Any cuttings that you have taken should be moved inside or into a warm greenhouse to protect them until you are ready for spring planting. Larger pot plants that cannot be moved inside, should be wrapped with a layer of bubble wrap or hessian, this will prevent the pots from freezing and cracking, helping the roots to stay healthy.

Damaged Plants

Even with the best efforts, damage will occur at times. The good news however, is that plants that have frost damage can sometimes recover given time. Often our first thought is to put them into the sun to defrost; but as explained already, this can cause additional damage. Once the danger of frosts has passed, trim back to the new spring buds to encourage new shoots to grow. Feed the plants with a balanced fertiliser to encourage healthy growth, (equal parts nitrogen / phosphorus / potassium), and if possible, dig up smaller plants and move them into a greenhouse or inside the house. Many will quickly recover and new growth will appear.

Dealing With Snow

Snow can be beneficial to plants in that it insulates them, protecting them from the cold and frost, however it is important to take note that snow can also cause damage to plants.

When the snow arrives, shake any excess snow from branches / shrubs / hedges, to stop the weight of the snow changing their shape. Make sure that you remove the bulk of any snowfall from the roof of the greenhouse if you have one, so that light can still get in and no damage is caused by the weight of the snow. Avoid walking on any snow-covered grass to prevent damage to the turf below. Walking on snow-covered grass can leave marks on the lawn, but it also encourages the growth of fungal disease, so this should be avoided at all costs.

Preparing For Springtime

Start digging and preparing the ground for spring as soon as possible. So long as the ground is not waterlogged or frozen, digging allows you to loosen the soil, remove weeds and add compost, which will improve the soil structure, creating a fertile place for your plants to grow. Think of all those delicious vegetables and pretty plants as motivation!

Maintaining Your Equipment

Lastly, don’t forget to maintain all of your gardening equipment, winter is a great time to take care of these kinds of jobs! If the blades need sharpening or oiling, the wooden handles need cleaning and protecting… Get these tasks taken care of now so that you have your equipment in perfect condition, ready for when you need it!

If you require the services of a professional gardener on a temporary, seasonal, full or part time basis, drop us a line here at Eden Private Staff!

February 6, 2017

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