Preparation for the winter garden starts in autumn. With a month to go, now is the time to get busy in the garden and prepare for the winter months. This preparation will eventually give you a good foundation for spring gardening as well. Winter gardening is a fun way to stay active and keep your garden looking good throughout the year. 

Protect what you Have  

Protecting delicate and sensitive plants is important in the colder months – especially if you want your garden to flourish when it gets warmer again.  Feed your whole garden with an organic fertiliser to strengthen the cell walls in the plants. This will help protect them from winter frost and chill.  

Pruning is another way to get the best out of your garden. It is important to prune conservatively. According to experts, a warm spell during winter can encourage plants to sprout. Any new growth can be severely damaged by the cold.  

Pot plants can also take a lot of strain – especially when they are placed close to the house in areas that do not get constant sun. Move your pots to sunny areas in the garden to give them a hand to withstand the cold. It is also important to take the opportunity to fertilise them with an organic, slow-release fertiliser.   

Your Lawn  

In general, lawns don’t look great or grow a lot in winter. If you live further north, you may get lucky with green grass all year, but that too is rare and difficult to maintain.   

Lawns need aerating during winter, as well as a fertilizer such as 2:3:2 that you can find at any gardening centre.  It is also vital to not cut lawns too low during winter as it can cause disease and overexposure to the cold. Keep your top dressings for spring, as it is not advised to use in the winter, especially when rain is scarce in some parts of the country.   

Planting Veggies  

The South African landscape makes it easy for homeowners to grow veggies in winter. Early spring will be your harvest time – making it an ideal time to get dirty in the garden. There are few favourites to grow this time of year and Hinterland shares their favourites.  

Green onions: In case you are wondering about what vegetables to plant in winter in South Africa, why not start with onions. Green onions exist in different varieties. The best ones to grow during the winter are the “Scallions.”  

Garlic: Garlic is one of the easiest to plant winter vegetables. It shares various common traits with the scallion onion. Planting them in late autumn or early winter will take them the entire spring to mature. The garlic will be ready for harvest in early summer.   

Peas: Green pea is one of the most nutritious spring vegetables that your farm can ever bear. For you to enjoy the nutrient benefit in the early spring, you have to consider planting peas in your garden as autumn wraps up.    

Spring onions: Spring onions grow rather faster when compared to their family members such as garlic and green onions. Due to this, timely planting of this vegetable guarantees an early harvest at the end of the winter season.    

Perpetual Spinach: Perpetual spinach is a wonderful source of vitamin K in your home diet. One of its greatest advantages is that it grows very fast. As a result, you are ensured of harvesting its healthy leaves from season to season. Kale is also the answer to what vegetables to plant in summer in South Africa. An interesting fact is that you should keep vigil, as the growth of its flowers will make it a seed rather than a crop. Continuous removal of the flowers ensures the Perpetual Spinach production of fresh and nutritious leaves.