Winter in Your Garden
There generally isn't as much to keep up with after all the leaves have fallen from your deciduous trees/shrubs, and you've gotten them cleaned up. The winter season represents dormancy, where the life force/sap in plants has moved down into the ground, seeking warmth/safety from freezing temperatures that can kill it.
Many projects are ideally done during winter because the cold/wet weather works with nature on specifics. Most of these being focused on cleanups, along with preparing/working soils and planning for spring. Take advantage of this, while kicking the winter blues to the curb, and supporting your health by staying active.
Here is your recommended list of winter projects:
Leaf cleanup.
This is significant: especially for those of you that have lovely lawns and prized shrubs you don't want leaves building up in. Leaves are fine to let sit on your bare dirt areas though, and around the bases of trees/shrubs until freezing temps end in the spring.
In many cases piling leaves around the feeder roots of new trees/shrubs that are not deeply rooted yet, can help protect against deep freezes. The older the plant the deeper the tap root will often run down into the earth.
Lawn, plant, stump, and invasive species (blackberries and English ivy) removal.
The ground is nice and wet now, making it easier to dig out roots and stumps. Aside from when the ground is frozen, this is a great season to do these projects.
Comprehensive tree/shrub pruning.
As mentioned above: the saps/juices have now moved downward out of leaves/branches. This is ideal for major cutback and restructuring, aside from evergreens, which are green 24/7 unless they have health problems. But the sap is still less fluid for major pruning of evergreens.
Preparing beds that need it for spring planting, soil amending, and mulching.
This is often more specific for areas that are overgrown, loaded with weeds/invasives, and soils that need improvements regarding drainage, aeration/flow, and soil type for what you plan to grow there or don't want growing there. Laying down plastic, cardboard, or ground cloth is not recommend in any case.
This type of preparation is where THICK mulching with a fine bark mulch after you've removed the weeds and/or invasives is appropriate, unless you want to set that area up for planting new plants. In that case, soil amendment specific to the ecology of the plants going there would be better as a top dressing.
May the Harry Potter magic be with you this winter season!
Straight Up & Free with James D is a reader supported publication.
If you found this valuable and educational, and appreciate the craftsmanship and care I bring in providing this content, please consider upgrading your subscription to support my work. You can also give a gift subscription, or make a one time donation.
Thank you!