We enjoy our garden all summer, but it's time to prepare it for winter.
Here are a few things to get you through the next year.
Finish the tender harvest before the first hard frost.
Some crops can be grown, such as vegetables and cabbage; They appreciate very low temperatures.
Plants such as sage, thyme and oregano are hardy plants that can survive the winter in the soil. However, if you want rosemary or basil, you will need to dig up the plants and store them indoors.
Throw away all fallen fruit and vegetables. Add soil, compost or leaves and cover with straw until you are ready to replant in the spring.
Seedling protection. You can add compost or mulch to your ornamental garden before the ground freezes.
Use your page; They decompose in winter and provide nutrients to the soil.
You can use cut or whole leaves and plant them around existing plants.
Water Continue to water perennials, trees and shrubs. This is especially important for green plants to prevent winter burn.
Avoid cutting before winter.
Don't forget your lawn. Grass grows until the first hard frost; Continue cutting at a height of 2-1/2 to 3 inches.
You can prune the perennial when the leaves have died back and the soil has cooled.
However, consider delaying your ornamental garden until spring. In winter, birds forage and eat the seeds of perennial flowers.
Beneficial insects use the habitat left in dead plant debris to lay their eggs and survive the winter.
Visit our website cceoneida.com for more tips on how to prune gardens and other garden plants.
Oneida Cornell County Cooperative Extension answers home and garden questions at homeandgarden@cornell.edu or by calling 315-736-3394, press 1 and ext. 333. Leave a question, name and phone number. Answers to questions are accepted on weekdays from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Also visit our website http://cceoneida.com/ or call 315-736-3394, press 1 and additional 100.
This article first appeared in The Observer-Dispatch Gardening tips: What to do to prepare your garden for winter
