Top Five Tips to Prepare Your Garden for Winter
The long, hot summer is behind us and the days are getting shorter, the temperatures lower as autumn approaches. Just as we have started to wear warmer clothes and to prepare ourselves for the change in season, our gardens also need some preparation to ready them for shorter days and cooler temperatures as winter approach.
What comes next in the article?
- Preparing the garden before winter. Am I too late with my preparations?
- Leaves in the garden. The damage they cause!
- What is Mulch? Is is toxic?
What needs to be done in Autumn to prepare the garden for winter?
Autumn is the perfect time to prepare your garden for the coming colder season. There are a variety of jobs including: leaf clearance, weeding, garden clean up and other garden maintenance. A few hours spent now tidying up, will give you a head start when spring arrives and your garden comes to life. Your garden will look better, be tidy and organised and be prepared for the harsh weather of winter.
1. Leaf Clearance
The first major task that needs to be performed is cleaning up the leaves from your garden. At the start of autumn all the trees within the vicinity will be losing their leaves and filling neighbouring gardens and pavements with hues of browns, golds and oranges. No matter how attractive they appear at first it is essential that all the leaves are cleaned up and removed.. This can be a massive task depending upon how many trees you have in and around your garden. It is also time-consuming and hard work. Many people hire a professional leaf cleaning service to carry out this task.
Why do I need to clear leaves from my garden?
Dead leaves can cause all sorts of problems if leaf cleanup does not happen.
- If the leaves are not cleaned up regularly they can end up in drains, causing blockages and major issues such as slow water drainage, corrosion, flooding and sewage backup. This could lead to expensive repairs.
- The wind can also carry them into the gutters, causing blockages and water leaks. This could lead to problems with your roof and even the foundations of your home.
- Dead leaves on top of any grass, will deprive the grass of sunshine and air and can suffocate your grass. Leaving you with a muddy mess where a green lawn should be.
- When the leaves get wet they result in slippery surfaces that can cause a hazard for anyone walking in their vicinity.
- Loose leaves can disguise hazardous ground such as uneven ground, gaps, holes, steps, loose pavings and even broken drain covers. All of these are potential hazards that can make you trip and result in a serious injury.
- Whilst the first leaf fall is aesthetically pleasing, the leaves quickly turn brown and are less attractive, resulting in a brown muddy mess.
2, Weeding
Weeds are the prime enemy of gardeners everywhere, taking some time now to perform a good de-weeding of your garden will save you both time and energy when spring arrives. Whether you intend to weed the lawn, flower beds or remove any weeds growing in the cracks of your patio, unfortunately, there is no shortcut, just elbow grease and possibly weed killer if you are on paving stones.
3. Autumn Lawn Care
Your grass is probably dormant and not growing, but you can still carry out some maintenance work to make sure it is at its best come spring. Don’t cut your lawn in the winter unless absolutely necessary. It is good to let it rest over winter. Make sure you clean all debris, loose leafs or dead vegetation. Aerate your lawn by using a fork or spiking tool to put holes in the soil every 10 cm, this helps for water and oxygen to circulate and builds strong root systems and helps prevent compaction. This is also a good time to lay new grass seeds ready for the spring.
Why Do We Need to Fertilise The Lawn
Garden lawns can take quite the beating through the summer months, what with hot, dry weather, paddling pools and other activities performed on the grass. Fertilising your lawn during the autumn and leaving it till spring will restore the nutrients that it needs to be healthy and to grow. After the lawn has been aerated, cover it with a thick layer of fertiliser and mulch.
4. Dig Up Annual Plants and Add Some Winter Colour
Many annual plants like poppies, snapdragons and sweet peas are unable to survive the cold temperatures common in winter and so it is a good idea to dig these plants up and make room for your spring planting. The autumn is the best time for planting additional flowers that will give you garden colour during the winter months. These include: heather, cyclamen, pansies and snowdrops.
5. Mulching and Soil Care
Your soil is one of the most important elements of your garden. Without it no life can survive. Good soil is therefore the secret to healthy plants and trees. Your soil is a whole ecosystem full of microorganisms, tiny animals, including worms and beetles that all have their job in recycling nutrients for the plants as well as aerating the soil and providing drainage. Mulching helps to keep the soil in good shape and maintain the ecosystem. Mulching around your trees and on your lawn will save you time, energy and money.
What is Mulch?
Mulch is a material that you spread over your soil to cover it. You can use organic material like wood chips and leaves or inorganic material like black plastic and rocks. Mulching is when you spread it over the ground. Mulching can be performed in any season, but during the autumn is ideal as it prepares the soil ready for spring. Laying down a couple of inches of compost followed by a layer of mulch will protect your plants from hard frosts and provide fresh nutrients.
Shorter days and dark evenings can make it more difficult to get all the jobs that are needed to be done finished. MXMX are available to help with any of the essential jobs that need performing in your garden. We are a professional company experienced in landscaping, garden cleaning services, including a leaf cleaning service and garden maintenance. We have a well known reputation for efficiency, reliability and excellent services. Our professional gardeners Harrow are trained and qualified and very experienced. They have a wide range of skills and knowledge. They will have your garden tidy, clean and organised in no time.