How to Winterize Your Garden

Kids are back to school.  Days are getting shorter.  There’s almost a nip in the air.  It’s time to start thinking about winterizing your garden.  You worked hard to keep your flowers and plants thriving all summer long, now it’s time to take a few simple steps to ensure the same for next spring.  From late summer through the end of October, you can prepare your flower beds for winter and a healthy spring season.  Follow these tips and your garden/yard will be the talk of the neighborhood!

1. Plant spring perennials.  There’s nothing like preparing for winter by looking forward to spring.  Crocuses, daffodils, tulips, and hyacinths are all great to plant in the fall. For best results, plant them in a sunny location with good drainage, water them, and mulch them after the ground freezes.
2. Water your existing flowers.  After the trees have dropped their last leaves, give your perennials and flowering plants a final deep watering.  Because trees and shrubs are unable to draw water from the frozen ground, watering can minimize the damage your garden receives during the harsh winter.
3. Empty containers.  To avoid cracking during the winter months, it’s a good practice to clean out all your outdoor containers and store them upside down until spring.
4. Run your hoses.  After the final water of the season, be sure to remove all the water from your hoses, roll them up and put them away.
5. Mow your lawn.   Continue to cut your grass as late into the fall as the grass grows.  Grass left too long after the snow arrives can produce brown patches in the spring.
6. Pick up leaves.  Rake your lawn until the last leaf has fallen from your trees.  Not doing so will result in mold, effectively killing the grass underneath.
7. Don’t prune.  While fall is a good time of year to clean up foliage, the general consensus on fall pruning is “Don’t”.  Pruning in the fall stimulates new growth when plants are preparing to go dormant.  Pruning is best left for late winter, when flowers are still dormant, or early spring, when they are actively growing and have the strength to replace what you’ve trimmed.

Let Marc’s simplify your winterizing process!  We carry helpful organizers to make room in your garage or shed for your summertime items, as well as lawn and leaf bags to aid in your yard clean up.  Visit your neighborhood Marc’s today and save!
 
How do you prepare your yard for fall/winter?  Sound off in the comments below!