The eight essential winter gardening jobs you should do right away are the following:
- Preserve or improve your soil’s health by adding fallen, shredded leaves or compost
- Clean up the area by removing leaves and trimming, chopping, and cutting your plants
- Plant for next year’s floral display
- Add more or reapply mulch
- Save seed from your plant materials
- Turn your compost, or start one
- Maintain your equipment and tools
- Review what you’ve done and learned in this season to help you grow and plan for next year
In the Northern Hemisphere, once it reaches October, days start to get noticeably shorter, and temperatures start to drop. Like many gardeners, you’ve likely passed through one of the busiest parts of your growing season, and are now ready for that slower pace.
However, don’t slow down too much. You still have some work to do to make your garden even better next year.
To help you out, here are my top eight things to do to prepare your garden for winter, starting with amending your soil.
1 – Maintain Or Improve Soil Health
If you happen to observe healthy soil under a microscope, you understand that it is complex. Ideally, garden soil is a combination of minerals (like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus), partially decayed organic matter, living organisms (including microorganisms), water and air.
Why is this important? Because the aboveground component of plants is photosynthesizing sugars, and the underground component is focused on grabbing available nutrients from your soil.
In other words, good soil leads to healthy plants, and your role as a gardener manager this well. Part of managing this is replacing nutrients in the soil when needed.
The question is, how?
Your Options
While one option is to continue paying for new, conditioned soil or various additives (like fertilizers or manures), this can become expensive relatively quickly.
However, some knowledge and prep work can allow you to keep your garden’s soil quality high without spending more than offsetting resulting materials you already have at home.
Most gardeners will amend their soil in the spring months and again in the autumn months (right before or just after the growing season).
I actually prefer autumn because the added organic materials can break down during how dormant the ground is in the winter.
Also, I enjoy using all the leaves that fall for mulching (breaking down the fallen leaves and putting them on top of all of the beds).
I rake the leaves into a pile and go over the leaves once or twice with my lawn mower. Then I gather the leaves and put them on the soil. Over the course of the winter, it will be breaking down and contributing some nutrients back into the soil.
Additional benefits are protection for the microorganisms that live in the soil and a place for beneficial insects to hang out in at night in the early spring.
If you want to utilize decomposing leaves and you do not live where there are trees, you could ask a neighbor to give you a bag of theirs. And if you don’t even have a lawn mower to mulch the leaves, they will still break down regardless (just take longer).
Another common way to enhance soil is to apply compost. Compost is simply composted (broken down) organic materials that you can either apply on top of the soil you already have – referred to as “top dressing” – or mix it in.
Over time, it simply all becomes part of the soil. Using it in the fall months just gives it that much more time to break down into the soil.
You can buy compost, or many municipalities offer it for free, or you could make your own (more later). There is an ideal ration of greens to browns for composting as well – more on that later too.
2 – Clean Up
There are cases to be made for and against which tasks are best to complete at the end of a season, but you’ve got to decide what works best for you.
I have done it all in my gardens. I have left all things as is until spring and, in other years, removed all plant material that was decomposing. Through experience I have landed on a task list that is somewhere in the middle. This is what I suggest.
Remove Your Leaves
Take the bulk of leaves off the grass to stop them from turning into a thick mat that inhibits turf growth. Dead leaves can be a great benefit in the garden.
Use some for mulching beds, put some in the compost, and bag some up to use later in the compost or as the additive to new beds or pathways etc.
You either don’t have room or simply just feel better when it is all taken away, but think of any leaves you can use at home as saving energy of transport and processing them away somewhere else.
There is one time I would suggest removing your leaves: if they exhibit any disease.
All I ask is you check the leaves prior to using them anywher in your yard. If the leaves look fine, great. If they exhibit spots, multiple holes, look burned, abnormal in any respect, I would gather those up and remove them reducing risk of any further disease to spread in your yard.
You could put those leaves in your municipal “green bin” through the municipal composting program if you then reside in an area with one. Since those leaves are processed at high temperatures that eliminate any disease-causing pathogens.
When the leaves are gone, take that tree or shrub you identified the leaves from and look up how to treat it.
Cut And Trim Your Plants
Next, evaluate all your trees and shrubs for dead branches or broken branches. Remove them.
You may be able to chip healthy branches into wood mulch for use elsewhere in the yard, and compost (the larger the branches, the longer they take to decompose), set aside to use in your fireplace/fire pit, or throw them away.
Again, unless you find evidence of disease, you can cut back your annual and perennial plants, or you can leave them until the spring.
You might want to remove the seed heads of flowers for saving for next year’s planting (more on that below) or otherwise to keep them from self-sowing next season. I tend to save some for my seed stash, leave some for birds that overwinter, and plan for a year of planting only varieties I don’t mind seeing in a random “pop-up” next year (they tend to be easily pulled or dug up).
As leaves, stalks, and stems die back and decompose, some of the nutrients that they absorbed over the growing season, return back to the soil. This habit also provides habitat for all kinds of beneficial insects and animals: ladybugs, moths, butterflies, beetles, native species of bees, etc. – all of which can help next year in your garden, as well!
If you are taking this approach, you also must ensure you are willing to leave the plant material wherever it is until the temperatures have gotten warm enough for these beneficial insects and animals to become active again (it must be consistently 50 degrees F (10 C) be for this to happen). Otherwise, you will just be getting rid of them.
3 – Plant For Next Year
Fall is a great time to plant some things in your garden.
Temperatures are milder, and growth slows significantly. Since plant roots can still develop for a few months, take this opportunity to assess what may be a welcome addition next spring.
You may want to start by looking at your herbaceous (versus woody) perennial plants. How old are they? Are they quite large?
Many perennial plants benefit from being divided, which is exactly what it sounds like. You dig up a plant and cut it in half, working a sharp tool (I use a hori hori knife) through its roots vertically.
Once the root ball has been cut into two, gently separate the remainder of the plant and pull it apart. Place each plant back into the ground, and cover the roots with soil and water. There you have it, two instead of one.
If you want to add plants you don’t already have, the autumn season sees garden centers and plant nurseries selling off extra stock at very reasonable prices. This is because plants don’t survive winter in pots very well.
The above-ground portion of the plants will not look its best at this point, but if you know what you are looking for and use your imagination, you can find great deals on trees, shrubs, and perennial plants.
Autumn also sees garden centers put out many bulbs. Plant them now and enjoy the flowers they produce in spring.
4 – Add Or Reapply Mulch
We have already talked about mulching as a process to build soil, but mulching has other benefits too, as well as different uses.
Mulching protects your plants and soil. For a plant, whether it has just been put in place or is very well rooted, winter will be creating stresses.
A layer of leaves, finished compost, straw, or wood chips will help insulate the plants so they do not experience temperature shocks.
I was once told mulch is like a blanket and when used you are essentially pulling the blanket up and tucking the plants in for the winter.
Mulching will also help hold moisture in the soil underneath.
To be honest, you can use mulch at any point. I like to mulch in the fall because, I am less busy with fall work, and there tends to be an overabundance of materials already available to redistribute and use as mulch.
I like mulching in the fall because it is a milder climate too, which allows me to shovel and move a wheelbarrow with greater ease.
In the fall it is preferable because the plants are dying back and thus leave the garden more open for replacing mulch without concern of damage.
In terms of design, it looks nice as well. When mulching is applied throughout the landscape beds to unify different plantings, or to elliminate visual porosity, the design must be recognized and understood as an excellent addition to beautifying a space.
And if I’m not convincing enough, consider this: applying enough mulch prevents weeds in early spring. While it can be a little hard work, if you want to try using mulch, you will save yourself time next season.
Here are some materials for you to consider, for mulching:
- Wood chips
- Grass clippings
- Leaves
- Compost
- Straw
I do not recommend you use stone or rock around plants. They will be nice visually, but it is not good for the plant as they will absorb and retain a lot of heat, and do not hold moisture which defeats two of the primary warming and cooling reasons we mulch!
5 – Save Your Seeds
Seed saving is simply collecting seeds from your plants for future use.
The biggest reason people save their seeds is to grow the plants later that are best suited for that particular area and to maintain plant biodiversity.
Other reasons are:
- selecting for specific genetic traits
- understanding and identifying all aspects of a plant’s life cycle
- empowering/fostering a sense of independence
- convenience
- economic savings
For me, it all started with a natural inclination. There are seeds everywhere at the end of summer and in the fall garden.
I was walking in the garden one day, and I noticed some seed heads of dill seeds swaying back and forth in the wind, and I remembered I had used all of my dill seed relatively earlier in the season, so it seemed natural.
I clipped a few seed heads off and a new passion was born.
Since then, I have engaged in a variety of citizen science seed-related projects, and most years, I set aside at least a section of my garden for this purpose.
One project I was involved in was to germinate old (and otherwise unaccessible) seed of a bush bean.
I received a packet of ten seeds, I grew three plants, and I returned approximately 80 seeds back to the organization that facilitated this work for me. This is a small way we can protect biodiversity.
In another project I grew out a particular ground cherry plant, and I was asked to select seeds from the best fruit of one of the most upright plants.
The idea over several years was for growers to be able to produce seeds that would only produce upright ground cherries, and this would include the same selection from prior seasons.
Steps To Take
Though the seed-saving process can seem complicated, it’s a relatively simple and satisfying garden practice.
If you want to try it yourself, these are the basic steps:
- Decide which seeds you are going to collect.
- Know when and how you can collect the seed.
- Know how to process the collected seed.
- Label and store.
Additional Essential Seed Tips
You should do the following:
- Gather under as dry of conditions as possible.
- Let seeds dry on the plant before you take them off. The exceptions would be for any seeds of tomatoes and peppers or seeds of any self-pollinating plant that needs to be removed from its fruit (which is referred to as “wet-fruited” seed.)
- If you would like to save seeds in your garden, do it with the knowledge that you are planting seeds that are “open-pollinated” instead of hybrids (that may produce sterile seeds).
- Many seeds will need to be stratified (go through a cold exposure) before they will germinate. Some people will refrigerate seeds. I store mine in a lidded container in my unheated garage.
- Not all seeds will remain “true to seed.” Seeds taken from cross-pollinated fruit (for example: corn and vining fruit) cannot be used in future harvesting seasons. The seeds will have become hybrids with altered genetic information in the seeds, and you will not be able to determine what you will grow. For this reason, do not collect seed from food plants that will cross-pollinated. You may enjoy tried your hand at floral hybrids.
6 – Turn Your Compost (Or Start Composting)
If you already have a compost pile or bin, it’s time to remind you that it is time to give it a stir!
If you don’t have one yet, maybe you’re now convinced to try. The good news is that composting is a cinch. Well, the composting we will attempt is a cinch as it relates to yard and garden waste (and two very useful kitchen additions).
To start, just know that composting is managing the decomposition of organic materials.
In a backyard compost based on yard waste, for example, you might include grass clippings, twigs, plant materials, leaves, and so on.
With a little love and attention, these materials break down to a point where they are unrecognizable, forming a lovely rich compost for you to utilize for your yard and garden in all its nutrient-dense glory!
There are four elements required to successfully compost:
- Browns: Carbon-rich materials such as dry leaves, twigs, stalks, and cardboard
- Greens: Nitrogen-rich materials such as most grass clippings and yard waste
- Water: Moisture
- Air: Oxygen
Steps To Take
First, you will want to decide where you’re doing to compost and what container you’re going to use to compost it. You can compost without a container, however, it could take longer outside in the elements.
When it comes to a container I recommend something with drainage and a lid. But it might be important to you to easily get to and turn it once it has and if it will grow large.
Then you will want to put your yard waste in there alternating greens and browns and finishing with browns in the top. If you live somewhere dry, add water. Otherwise just lid it and wait.
Come back to your compost sometime in the next week and I will bet it has shrunk.
The next step will be to grab a pitch fork or shovel and mix it up a bit for the sake of getting some oxygen in there, and check the moisture. It should be damp, not wet.
If you have materials to add go ahead and layer it with balanced carbon, nitrogen materials.
I turn the pile once a week when I notice the pile breaking down to various degrees. I do this throughout the winter.
If the temperature is warm or the pile is inflated, I turn it every three to four days, as needed. Once again, this agitation is not necessary, but it does speed things up.
Once you have a reasonable assortment of browns, greens, and moisture in your compost, after the first while, you will start to notice that the materials you have added break down into what appears as soil.
At this time, your compost is ready to contribute to your garden whether you mix it into the soil or top dress.
Additional Composting Tips
Here’s what to do:
- Don’t compost plants that are diseased or bug-infested, as well as invasive plants and seeds.
- If your compost smells bad, it means it is out of balance. It is likely either too many nitrogen (or green) materials, or too wet. Add in some more browns and mix (this is a good reason to dry-bag leaves if that is an opption for you).
- Eggshells are a good materials to add to your pile, as they will add a little magnesium. I give mine a quick rinse and set them aside in my garage or garden shed. When I turn the pile, I crush up the shells (the finer the better) and add to the compost pile.
- Coffee grounds are also a good addition to your compost, even thought they are dark brown in color, they will also add nitrogen as they are considered “greens”.
7 – Take Care Of Your Equipment And Tools
Now that you’ve finished preparing your garden for winter, the next task on your winter gardening jobs list is to care for your tools and equipment.
Here are the steps to take:
- Prepare any equipment that may be at risk of freezing and becoming damaged due to the water freezing and expanding.
- Disconnect, empty, and store all hoses.
- If you have an irrigation system, winterize it by blowing the water out of all of the components.
- Remove anything that has water in it or, if you don’t want to discard it, keep it somewhere that it won’t freeze and crack.
- Do a clean and dry on tools such as shovels and rakes, spades, hoes, trowels, knives, pruners, etc. I use dish soap and water to do this.
- You may choose to scrub the dirt and rust off with a steel brush or steel wool, if they are rusty.
- After you clean and dry the tools of choice, go through and pick those that you want to sharpen. I like to use a file for sharpening. If you haven’t tried this, ask for someone to show you how to do it.
- Once the tools are sharp, give them a coat of oil. Don’t be too liberal — every oil will be in contact with the plant you are working with. I use linseed oil, and it is okay to use linseed oil designed for wood on your metal tools. If you have wooden handles that look dry, oil those too.
- Leaving gasoline in your lawn mower through the winter will be problematic, as it will degrade. Either burn it up at the end of the mowing season or ensure it is full with gasoline and fuel stabilizer.
- Remove batteries, battery packs, etc., to store inside for winter.
- I also like to do oil changes, changing filters, clean where needed, etc. This allows me to know if they will be ready to go when I am next engaged in it again next year.
- If, like me, you are not mechanically inclined, get someone else to help too. Over time, you can learn how to do these things.
8 – Do A Seasonal Review
The final garden task I recommend completing each year as part of your winter gardening tasks is some form of yearly review.
The goal behind this activity is to evaluate the season as a whole, go over successes and failures, try to remember things you’ve learned, and begin to think about the following year.
I enjoy writing down this information in a gardening journal. Partly because so much happens over the course of one gardening season that I find it beneficial to have a customized guide to refer back to later.
I’ve realized that, at least for me, I think I will remember everything I wanted to, but really don’t. So I write it down for future reference (again, before I forget!).
A few months later, as I prepare for the next gardening year, I pull out my journal and can make changes where necessary to improve as a gardener and reach the specific targets I had.
What I Wrote This Year
Here are some things I wrote this year:
- I need to begin my luffa seeds a couple weeks earlier than I did.
- There’s a certain type of mini sweet pepper that were extremely seedy, and I don’t want to grow it again.
- I did find a source for locally made garden tools that I’m happy with.
- My lemon cucumbers were almost completely taken down by cucumber beetles this year, and I’d love to skip that whole bed of curcurbits next year.
- There is also a new super hot pepper that I would like to try, “pepper X,” where do you get seed, etc.
Some of the questions I like to ask in my yearly review:
- What are some of the things I learned in my garden this year?
- What was I surprised by this year in my gardens?
- Is there anything I want to do differently next year?
- Favorite things?
- What was harder than I expected?
- What did I get the most joy from?
- What am I already excited about for next year?
This is just how I prefer to do things.
Your review (if you even need one) can look any one way.
As you read through other people’s stories and advice pertaining to gardening, take what feels appropriate, and don’t take the rest.
The important thing is your garden should be what you want it to be. The best way to achieve that is to garden.