You’ve spent the summer enjoying your garden, now it’s time to clean and cover up, in order to make sure that you’ve got something to enjoy next summer. After all, winter is coming, so you need to prepare! In this blog post, we’ll take a look at different sections of a garden, and how they can be bested defended from the worst that the colder months will throw at them.
Lawn care
First things first, we’ll take a look at the lawn. There are a number of steps that you can take to ensure that, when your garden thaws out in spring, your lawn is ready to bounce back, looking better than ever. A few of our lawn care tips are more passive than the rest; it’s important that you avoid feeding your lawn during the cold winter months, and that you minimise the amount that tread on your lawn after frost has set in. Both actions are bad news for grass, and could result in your lawn being partially or fully dead on arrival when spring comes around. Feeding during the winter months delivers the same results as during the warmer ones; it promotes growth. This is hazardous when outside conditions are cold enough to be lethal to the grass, as extra exposed surface area may be enough to finish off grass, especially if the seasonal chill has already put it on the ropes. Treading on your lawn when frost is down is liable to damage or break the frozen stems of grass, often leading to foot print shaped holes in your lawn next year! Next up, you’ll want to ensure that there is nothing else competing with your lawn for space and food, or actively impeding its access to sunlight or nutrients. Moss is one of the main offenders here, so make sure that you wipe out any moss that you find on your lawn; if you don’t, it’ll gladly wipe out your lawn instead. It’s also easy enough to prevent the growth of moss in future; ensure there are no branches or foliage closely overhanging your lawn, and ensure that your lawn has optimal drainage. Excessive, prolonged water build-up is a welcome invitation for moss. Removing thatch also helps protect your lawn during winter months; motorised or mechanical rakes can both make this task extremely easy.
Plant protection
Before you take any other action in regards to fruit, vegetables, flowers and other plants that you want to shepherd through the winter chill, it’s important to plan ahead for the next planting season. What choices have been particularly successful this last year? What new plant life would you like to try for the first time? These thoughts should inform your choice of seeds; make sure you order early enough that you’re still able to act upon your deliberations, stocks of some plants and vegetables run out faster than others. Your work in relation to the plants in your garden should ultimately come down to prevention and protection. In terms of plants that are currently being stored in greenhouses, heaters are a sound investment; ensuring that plants are kept at a comfortable temperature throughout the colder months. In the same way, cold frames are a great way to ensure that plants are kept in comparative warmth; and also protected from the worst of winter’s wrath. Mulching is also a great idea; the placement of mulch will help to discourage the growth of weeds and protect seedlings and soil from frost. Protective fleecing can also be utilised to protect smaller, delicate plants. When it comes to mulching, it’s a good idea to wait until just after frost has hit, so as to prevent the hibernation and nesting of rodents and pests.
Taking care of trees
Trees, as with the other plant life in your garden, require protection from the ravages that can be wrought by the seasonal drop in temperature. The easiest way to protect trees and larger plants in your garden is by wrapping; this is best done by positioning stakes around the plant and tree, and wrapping the stakes with either burlap or wire mesh. Both options will help to keep rodents away, while the burlap option also provides a measure of insulation and protection from snow and sleet, which of use to particularly fragile plants and trees. Depending on where you live, and the variety of tree that you are housing on your property, it may also be necessary to spray your trees with winter tree wash, to prevent the settling of any vermin, and kill those that have already made their home there, as the winter months close in. Pressure sprayers are the easiest method to introduce winter tree wash to a given tree, making light work of a big task.
Guarding garden furniture
Now your plants are protected, you can worry about your garden furniture. After all, while generally far more hardy than the plant life in your garden, winter temperatures and weather conditions can quickly have an adverse effect on your garden furniture if you’re caught unwary. The easiest preparation you can take is to shelter as much furniture indoors as possible. For those pieces too large or cumbersome to easily move, you may be better served in covering them up for the duration of winter. Unless you fancy sunbathing in the middle of January, of course. We stock a comprehensive range of furniture covers, from those suitable for sun loungers, all the way to picnic table covers, for winter protection that you can rely on.
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