5 Easy Ways To Maintain Your Garden

Posted on Mar 19 2020 - 7:44am by Editorial Staff

There’s more to keeping your garden looking great than spending plenty of time in it during the spring and summer months. During the warmer weather, gardening is often much easier because you’re always looking for excuses to spend more time outside. However, that doesn’t mean you should forget all about garden maintenance when the weather gets colder.

If you can dedicate more time and focus on your garden when the temperature begins to drop, then you can improve your chances of having a livelier and vibrant yard when spring rolls around again. Here are five easy ways to maintain your garden⁠ — even in winter.

Take Care of Your Lawn

Your lawn is where you relax in summer days, where your kids play and where your pets run free. Maintaining this space during winter is crucial to keep it lush and growing all year round. During the winter, aerate the soil in your yard so that it’s easier for light and soil to reach the roots. For smaller lawns, all you might need is a pitchfork for this process.

You could also consider top-dressing your lawn with sand and loam. This will stop puddles from gathering around your garden, which could harm your soil over the course of winter. Don’t forget to get rid of weeds as often as possible too.

Remember to Mulch

Speaking of weeds, these pesky plants can quickly harm the appearance and growth of your garden. Too many weeds could even scare buyers off when the time comes to sell your house! To prevent weeds from appearing too regularly, try mulching throughout the cold temperatures. This will help the soil to thrive. Use an organic mulch to feed your garden beds when they start to break down.

Remember, when you’re outperforming your regular maintenance, keep an eye out for slugs and snails that often pop up during wet weather. These insects can be disastrous to your garden. The best way to remove them is either by hand-picking or placing a tray of beer about 10mm above the soil to attract them with the yeast.

Prune Trees and Shrubs

Winter is a fantastic time to start pruning your trees and shrubs without having too many leaves getting in the way. Aim to begin pruning in August and September, waiting for plants to die off before you start pruning. According to BestSpy you should try to avoid pruning the flowers that bloom in early spring or late winter, so do your research before you get started.

Roses can be pruned in July but make sure that you still tend to them during the cold season. Additionally, plants that flower in the winter require watering and fertilizing between periods of rain to help them stay healthy.

Clean Up Your Garden

Throughout the autumn and winter months, your garden will often be exposed to storms and other things that can end up making the landscape a mess. Start by clearing your garden beds and lawn of things like leaves, broken branches, and other debris that might have collected over time. It’s important to start working on these chores as quickly as possible as the sooner you start cleaning, the less likely you are to step on plants as they bloom.

As the months go on between winter and spring, focus on keeping your garden as tidy as possible, clearing up any broken twigs and extra debris as it appears.

Plan for Spring

Finally, when you’re still in winter mode, it’s time to get planning for what you’re going to do with your garden in the year ahead. Research your area online to find out what kind of flowers and vegetables thrive best in your zone if you want to grow your own vegetables next year. You can also get some useful tips from the people at your local gardening store or nursery.

Planning what you’re going to do in advance will mean that you’re less likely to accidentally miss out on the best time to start preparing your soil.

Ready to Look After Your Garden?

Even in the winter months, maintaining your garden properly is the key to having a beautiful outside area for you and your family to enjoy. Since your garden can make a huge difference to the appearance and value of your home, it’s important to look after it all year round.

About the Author

Editorial Staff at I2Mag is a team of subject experts.