winter gardening
Garden tips
Mulch
While the leaves and flowers may be dropping off your plants as the cooler months settle in, you still need to keep your plants healthy under the soil.
Plants will still be drawing up nutrients from the soil and need to have a balanced temperature. Applying some more mulch on will give the soil some warmth and prevent weeds from taking over the dormant plant life.
Lawns
While most plants flourish during the summer months, lawns are the opposite.
They’ll be full of life during the cooler winter and it’s important to give your lawn the best opportunity to soak up the winter rain.
Using a fork, poking holes in the soil will allow the rain to soak right down into the roots of the grass, giving it the best opportunity to strengthen before the harsh summer sun shows itself later in the year.
This will also include getting your hands dirty and doing some weeding. With rain, comes weeds and they will be taking away the nutrients your dormant plants need to survive. Take care to remove them by the root, giving them little chance to return later on.
Pruning
After the blossoming summer, it may be a good idea to have a look at what plants you can cut back when the leaves disappear.
This will not only neaten them up but prevent cold damage from the bare branches. Don’t be afraid to prune some plants right back either, leaving just 4-5 stems.
This gives the plant the best opportunity to stay strong underneath the soil throughout the winter.
Vegetables
There are some great winter veggies you can grow throughout the year but work well in the winter months. Carrots and broccoli will thrive throughout, so long as you continue to water them regularly and plant them in a spot with some sunshine. You can also start seedlings of eggplant, tomatoes and capsicum in a warm spot, ready for some spring planting.
Colour
Winter can be cold and grey, but don’t let that put you off adding some extra colour to your garden.
Flowers like winter roses, snowdrops and daphnes will give your garden a brighter look, while also taking well to the cool winter nights.
You can speak to your local nursery for further suggestions on what flowers may be best for your garden in winter.
What not to do
Be careful not to over-water your garden during winter. The season should see enough rain fall on your plants to keep them happy throughout, so half your watering schedule from what you may do during the summer months.
If you want to sow some winter vegetables, make sure you spread the seeds out. This will prevent the plants from choking each other when they try to grow. Spacing your plants out throughout the garden bed will allow them to get more light as well, which is key during the winter.
Over-mowing your lawn can cause some damage as well. Keeping it neat and tidy is key, but allowing it to grow and stay strong with some length during the winter will help going forward. When you mow, make sure you clear the sticks and debris of fallen leaves away too. Leaving them sitting on top of the lawn can prevent sunlight from reaching the grass, killing it.