Use Your Winter Garden Downtime Wisely

July 11, 2022by HOMEMAKERS Editor0 comments

summer gardens are made in winter

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Summer gardens are made in Winter!

Don’t be a slob this winter, exercise your gardening muscles and come springtime, you’ll be reaping the rewards.

For most non-professional gardeners, winter is a bit of a garden dead zone. Three months of downtime, where even the lawn doesn’t really need mowing.

You know you should probably be pruning some of your plants but can never quite remember which ones. If you live in a part of the country prone to frost you have probably seen the old folks next door diligently wrapping their lollipop trees in those white frost blankets, but you’re not sure how to do that, or even which plants would benefit from it.

We have come up with a short list of downtime utilizing hacks that can help you make the most of all the time you save by not planting things or mowing the lawn.

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Pruning during garden downtime

Most plants, but roses, in particular, do really well when pruned before the next growing season starts. This is much less tricky than it sounds, but for an entertaining and informative lesson on how and where to prune your roses, look no further. The experts at Ludwig’s roses have got your back.

Watch them in action here.

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Using Frost Blankets during garden downtime

Frost blankets are super lightweight sheets of white or light-coloured material. They are used (very effectively), to keep your plants safe from frost damage. These blankets are much better for promoting airflow around plants and even allowing in a certain amount of light, than bed sheets, towels, tarps or other heavy, dense materials.

Frost blankets work by trapping warm air around the plant and creating an insulated barrier. If your plants are low growing, the added heat from the soil, which is warmer than air, will radiate out at night and keep them cosy. But trees can also definitely benefit from a frost blanket. (It doesn’t have to reach the ground to be beneficial.)

Frost blankets also don’t hold moisture and won’t be too heavy to leave on your plants for extended periods. What’s more, they can simply be folded and stored for next winter! No waste!

The truth is that most plants, shrubs, and trees will benefit from frost blankets. It’s actually just your budget and willingness to deal with white shrouded ghost plants in your garden that will dictate where you put them up.

The important thing to remember is that you should put them up before the frost starts…don’t wait for the first cold snap before you do this.

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Garden Downtime is Perfect to Prep your patch!

Winter is the ideal time to check in on your raised beds or veggie garden.

Unless you are a veritable Farmer McGregor with emerald-green fingers and toes (not just thumbs), why not just be content with prepping your veggie patch for spring planting?

The easiest way to do this is to clean up any dead growth, dig up any roots of old plants, loosen the soil and then add a generous helping of good quality organic matter, like compost.

A morning of work, and your future self with thank you when spring comes.

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