Preparing Your Garden For Winter

When autumn nights get cold, it’s time to prepare your garden for winter. Winterizing makes your garden look better during cold weather and will make for more accessible work in the spring.

Start with Annuals

Start your clean-up by removing weeds and spent annuals from your beds. Remove non-hardy bulbs such as cannas, dahlias, and gladiolus from the beds. Allow the bulbs to dry in the sun for a few hours. This will prevent them from molding in storage. Store in a paper bag or box with peat moss in an excellent dry spot for the winter, such as an attic or basement.

Winterizing Shrubs and Trees

Remove diseased leaves (if any) from around your shrubs and trees. Remove any dead branches. Pruning is not recommended in the fall as it may stimulate new growth just as the harsh winter is bearing down. Water the shrubs thoroughly if the fall has been dry before the ground freezes. This will provide enough moisture for the plants until spring. Winter can be dry and harsh on many trees and shrubs, such as evergreens, so it’s best to supply them with ample moisture to keep them stronger through the winter months. If you want to protect tender plants from snow load, use burlap to wrap them in. It will protect branches from breaking due to snow load and the plant from the winter wind. Remember to take the burlap off before the spring heat, so the plant can begin to grow.

Winterizing Perennials

Perennials look tired and messy during the cold weather, so you may want to cut them back in the fall to keep your garden looking tidy and avoid extra spring work.  Taller perennials should be reduced to 6-8 inches above the ground.  Do not cut back evergreen and short perennials.  Leave them for the winter.  Perennials such as hosta can be raked over the top of their crown to remove the dead foliage resulting from the frost.