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Holidays such as Thanksgiving are just around the corner, and winter is almost upon us. With them comes the inevitable slow-down of garden-related activities. All your efforts are now directed towards incorporating that holiday sparkle into your living space. However, taking care of your garden is equally essential. The good news is that it won’t take much of your time either. The first thing you should do is let a reputable garden waste collection company know they’ll have to pass by your place later in the day, and then take on the task. Here are a few tips to make the task easier.
- Get the Rotten and Finished Plants Out of the Way
The first thing you should do to prepare your garden for winter is clearing up any dead foliage or disease-infested plants. Doing so not only leaves the area looking all tidy and ready for the cold, snowy season, but also prevents the spread of diseases, fungi, and pests to your healthy plants. This way, you get peace of mind knowing you won’t have to start from scratch once spring is here.
You can choose to bury the disease-free finished plants into your garden area as it helps improve the soil health. As for the disease-infested ones, it would be wiser to set them aside for garden waste collection. Burying them will only spread the pests and diseases during spring, affecting soil quality in your entire garden.
- Clear Out Invasive Weeds
With rotten and disease-infested plants out of the way, now it’s time to clear out the weeds as well. It’s tempting to want to bury them in another part of the garden or compost them, but unfortunately, invasive weeds tend to remain viable. So removing them altogether is the only way to ensure they don’t sprout the next season. Therefore, add them to the heap of disease, fungi, and pest-infested plants that are going to be taken away as garden waste.
- Don’t Forget the Herbaceous Perennials
If you have perennials, then cut them back and leave them about 4 to 6 inches tall. However, wait until the first frost. Why? Well, most perennials usually store their energy on the upper part of the plant. During winter, this energy flows to the root where it’s stored to keep the plant alive in the cold. Cutting back your perennials too early prevents this biological process, and as a result, your perennials die altogether.
Additionally, keep in mind that during winter, perennials are a sanctuary to insects such as ladybirds. So as much as you want to have all your perennials the next season, be considerate and leave some uncut to create a habitat for your garden’s wildlife.
- Remove Any Slimy Leaves
Slimy leaves create room for diseases and pests to winterize, and when spring comes, they’ll wreak havoc on your garden. Thus, remove any slimy leaves and throw them in the bunch going with garden waste collection.
- Plant Cover Crops
Rye, clovers, and vetch are examples of plants that thrive during winter. They also prevent soil erosion and increase organic matter in your garden. For instance, legumes such as field peas help increase nitrogen levels in the soil. So plant them at least a month before the first frost.
- Leave the Pretty Plants Standing
Apart from some of your perennials, leave plants such as sunflowers and blackberry lily intact. If they are healthy and standing, don’t even prune or cut blossoms. Doing so will only stimulate growth, and they’ll probably die on the first frost. So leave the pretty plants standing and, if possible, mulch them. They’ll be breathtaking in the winter sun and will also be a haven to your garden’s wildlife.
Over to You
Preparing your garden for winter doesn’t mean you won’t have enough time to get your home ready for the festive season. So dedicate one morning to doing all of the above, and when spring comes, you’ll be happy you did. Also, get in touch with our highly responsive team for garden waste collection services, and let us deal with the stress of disposing the heap your put aside earlier for you.
