Preparing for Winter: A guide to Closing Your Garden for the Season
As first frost approaches and the fall gardening season comes to a close, many gardeners are faced with the essential task of shutting down the garden. For me, this isn’t just a seasonal chore, but a critical step that safeguards my garden’s future health and productivity. Properly closing the garden helps to protect plants, enrich the soil and prevent pests, setting the stage for a vibrant return in spring. Whether you have an in-ground garden, raised beds or dabbled in gardening with a few grow containers on your balcony, this tailored guide is for you.
In-Ground Gardens
The Final Harvest and Clearing Debris
The first step to shutting down the garden always begins with a harvest. There is always a treasure to be found whether that’s a lone pepper you left after summer or a green tomato. After your final harvest, remove any spent plants, fallen leaves, and other debris. This reduces hiding places for pests and diseases.
Soil Care
This is a great time to test your soil’s pH and nutrient levels. This way, you can amend it accordingly in the spring. Adding organic matter at this time will also help to improve the soil structure whether it’s compost, manure, or fallen leaves.
Mulching
A layer of straw, leaves, or wood chips can protect the soil, keep weeds at bay, and provide a sanctuary for beneficial insects. I use fallen leaves from my tree that are shredded as mulch because its a cost effective method that adds nutrients back into the soil such as potassium and trace minerals. You can also plant cover crops like clover or rye to help protect the soil from erosion and improve soil health.
Raised Beds
Soil Care
Over time, the soil in raised beds can become compacted or nutrient-depleted. Add fresh compost and/or potting soil to replenish raised beds. A soil test can also be performed to test for pH and nutrient levels.
Mulching
Just like in-ground garden beds, consider adding mulch or planting a cover crop.
Repair Bed Structures
Check the wood or other materials for signs of wear or damage. This is an ideal time to fix these issues now to avoid springtime hassles.
Rotating Crops
If you’ve kept track of what was planted where, try to rotate your crops next year. This can prevent soil-borne disease and disrupts the life cycle of pests, preventing them from becoming established in one location.
Container Gardens
Cleaning
Clean containers by emptying out the soil and wash the containers with a diluted bleach solution to kill any lingering pathogens. This is a great time to clean any seed starting trays or garden tools and gloves.
Storage
If your pots are fragile like terracotta, consider storing them indoors or in a shed/garage to prevent them from cracking in the cold. This is also a great time to organize and discard any containers. Many local garden centres accept plastic garden pots and will recycle them for you free of charge.
Winter Protection
Some container plants, like hardy herbs or evergreens, can be left outdoors if given some protection. Wrap pots with burlap to insulate them.
Soil Care - For Spring
Refresh your potting soil from one year to the next if possible. This gives your plants the best chance to thrive in the spring. However, reusing potting soil from year to year can be a cost effective and sustainable way of gardening. If you plan on reusing your potting soil, follow these 5 steps to ensure you have a viable medium for your plants:
Remove old plants and roots
Inspect for Pests and Diseases
Loosen and Aerate the soil
Refresh Nutrients with compost or a slow fertilizer
Top off containers with new soil
Closing your garden for the winter might seem like an unnecessary task, but it’s actually the first step in ensuring next year’s bounty. With some care and preparation, you’ll be setting the stage for another successful gardening season.
