Preparing for winter

With winter coming fast upon us now is the time to get those perennial plants, deciduous trees and shrubs in the ground for summer and spring blooming.  You can continue to plant as weather and time permits, giving each plant a deep watering, applying and keeping two to four inches of your choice of mulch; making sure you leave a space of two to three inches between your plant and the mulch. If you live in areas that receive harsh winters, or heavy #winter winds; it could very well be worth your while to construct a windbreaker around any sensitive plants to buffer any damaging effects.  Continue to water as necessary until the ground has frozen completely, then make sure to add two to four inches of mulch of your choice to your perennial borders and garden beds.

Shredded wood used as mulch. This type of mulch is often dyed to improve its appearance in the landscape. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

If rabbits, rodents, or deer have been a problem in past winters, take precautions with valuable woody plants now.  Creating a physical barriers; which is more effective than sprays, to deter rabbits, rodents and/or deer.  To keep them from invading and living in the #garden in winter, sorry but it might be necessary to cut down their winter habitats, such as those ornamental grass clumps or perennials you might prefer to leave standing for winter interest.  To prevent rabbits gnawing on your tree trunks or other valuable woody plants, surround them with hardware cloth, leaving a space of about one to three inches between the plants and hardware cloth.

Pixabay/Public Domain/CC0

All of your uncleaned ceramic, cement, or terra-cotta containers should be emptied, washed and dried to prevent mold from forming and stored in a frost-free space. Store all unused herbicides, pesticides, fertilizers, and chemicals in original, labeled containers safely in a frost free zone, such as your garage or storing shed. Clean, sharpen and oil all of your tools.  And before any freezing occurs; make sure to check that you have disconnected your outside water sources, drain hoses and empty any standing water, such as in a birdbath, standing water features that are not heated. 

Cleaning and sharpening your garden tools

Winter is a hard time for gardeners especially if it’s a mild winter like this year.  The urge to go out and plant is hard to resist and one way to keep yourself busy is to focus on other garden chores that you may have forgotten to do at the end of the season; like cleaning and sharpening your garden tools.

Scrubbing your garden tools is a job that is necessary to prevent the spreading of unwanted diseases and the spreading of weed seeds or insect eggs left in the clops of dirt/mud stuck to your tools.   Hard cakes of dirt can be removed with a putty knife and those hard to get in areas can be attacked with a stiff scrub brush.   If you have a big bucket I have found it easier if you soak the smaller tools in very hot soapy water for about 15-20 minutes.   A SOS pad works good on removing rust and removing sap.

After cleaning and drying completely, check and tighten, if necessary, all nuts, bolts and springs. Spray and wipe down metal elements with WD40 to prevent rust and keep moving parts moving.  With a second dry cloth, wipe down tools to make sure they are dry before storing them.

Sharpen tools that need it so that clean cuts can be made in a safe and effective way.