Cold Seasons
Welcome! This page is for gardeners who want to discover their green thumbs in winter and autumn!
Fall
Keep in mind that you may have a short window of opportunity to do this. That’s because plantings need to be done before the ground hardens or becomes too waterlogged. Neither of these conditions works for planting because the soil is either unworkable or there’s too much moisture for plant roots.
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Make sure you clean and nourish your soil.
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Dig through your beds and thoroughly remove dead plant matter, leaves and weeds. Once you’ve removed all the debris, you can start to nourish your soil again before planting.
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Nourishing your soil in the fall helps condition your soil for bountiful spring growth. Use an organic soil amendment and compost to feed microorganisms.
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Till the soil well to allow for ample oxygenation.
Winter
While winter isn’t a time for planting, it’s a time for preparation and maintenance. Like summer, winter has its unique gardening conditions and threats to plan for.
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When the ground freezes and hardens, it’s important to keep your soil and plants protected. This allows your hardy perennials, shrubs and trees to survive the winter and avoid shocking temperature fluctuations. You can reduce this risk by spreading a thick layer of new mulch. This insulates the soil and keeps ground temperatures even.
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Another risk to be aware of during winter is the possibility of ground shifting. The continuous freezing and thawing can crack the frozen soil. With enough cracking, it can shift your bulbs and push them to the surface. Prevent soil shifting by using evergreen boughs as a mulch layer across your bulb beds.
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Snow piles can be a great soil insulator by acting as mulch. But they can also be dangerous to branches and limbs of sensitive trees and shrubs. The weight of the snow and the freezing temperatures can cause branches to snap. Use a broom or other soft tool to brush snow off branches. Start from the bottom and work your way up so that lower branches don’t accumulate further snow weight.