Winterizing Your Garden

Garden Tools and Equipment Maintenance

• Clean tools and coat with oil to prevent rust. Scrape off all dirt with a wire brush or steel wool. Store all tools off the ground in a dry spot.
• Sharpen and lubricate all pruning tools.
• Drain water from hoses and irrigation equipment. Disconnect all hoses and store kink-free in garage or storage building.
• At final mowing run all gas out of tank and remove spark plug. Clean and oil all moving parts. A drop of oil can protect parts from rusting. Remove blade and sharpen to get ready for next spring.
• Clean out garden carts, wheelbarrow and wash spreader to remove all fertilizer and pesticides.
• Store all pesticides in a dry location with temperatures above 40°F.
• Use up all gasoline, do not store over winter. Never use old gasoline in your equipment.

Vegetable Gardens

• Remove all vegetative matter that may harbor disease pathogens and insects.
• Add compost to improve garden soil for next spring.
• Plough or deep till garden soil in the fall. Soil will warm up faster and excess water will drain-off rapidly, speeding up planting time.

Flower Beds

• If not interested in winter seasonal interest, remove all seed heads and foliage of most perennials and wildflowers. There are some notable exceptions such as lavender, sage and artemisia. Seed heads of echinacea, rudbeckia, yarrow (achillea) and other perennials are also important food sources for many overwintering bird species.
• Plant spring-flowering bulbs in the fall. Plant fall crocus and colchicum in fall.
• Fall is a great time to divide and /or plant new perennials. Apply 2” of organic mulch around newly planted perennials to retain soil heat to promote root growth and prevent heaving of plants over winter’s freeze/thaw cycles.
• After first frost, dig and store tender bulbs and tubers such as gladiolus, tuberous begonias, dahlias, and cannas.
• Pull up dead or spent annuals and compost. Any diseases plants should be placed in the trash.
• Remove all weeds in flower beds, particularly winter annuals like henbit, chickweed and annual bluegrass.

Roses

• Rake up all fallen leaves around rose shrubs and dispose of properly.
• Cut back roses no more than 25%, removing spent flower heads and weak spindly growth. Major pruning chores are best delayed until late winter.
• Never fertilize roses from fall thru early winter.

Containers

• Container grown plants are very frost sensitive. Cuttings may be collected and old plants and potting mix should be composted.
• Root systems of many hardy perennials, shrubs and trees are not as hardy as the shoots and need additional protection against freeze injury.
• Store empty stored ceramic and plastic containers in a dry storage building or garage to prevent breakage.

Lawn Care

• Rake up leaves, woody twigs and branches. Dispose of grass clippings in the compost bin. Large leaves tend pile up and eventually smother the lawn grass.
• Cut the lawn one final time around Thanksgiving
• Apply a slow release winter-formulized fertilizer in late October or early November. Feeding gets your lawn off to a good start next spring.

Trees and Shrubs

• No nitrogen containing fertilizers are applied in the fall, but do apply lime and/or sulfur as a soil test analysis may recommend.
• Fall is a great time to plant or transplant shrubs and trees. Nurseries still have good inventories in stock and prices are greatly discounted. Container –grown trees may be planted into early winter provided they receive a 2 to 3 inches of an organic mulch
• Add 2 to 3 inches of new mulch around trees, shrubs, and trees.
• As a rule, pruning is delayed until late February and March. Remove dead and dying limbs anytime of year.
• Protect sensitive shrubs and trees from winter’s dry winds and potential road salt injury. Constructing a vertical windbreak made from burlap or landscaper fabric. Examples include sensitive needle evergreens, azaleas, camellias and gardenias.
• To prevent rabbit and rodent feeding, wrap small mesh screening around the trunks of newly-planted apple, pear, peach, plum, apricot and cherry trees.
• Deer prevention strategies should be employed if applicable.

Water Garden

• Stop feeding fish and remove all non-hardy plants from pond. An option is to add a heater to prevent or reduce ice buildup over the winter months.
• Remove pond pump and filter. Remove any excess debris from the pond

Conservation: sow ryegrass or clover in early fall to prevent erosion and improve garden soil (as a cover crop).

Summary: accomplishing most winterizing chores make the labor of starting off the spring garden a lot easier.