:strip_icc()/spring-garden-hostas-allium-1bb02fd5-78ca0076a7c64ad39089cf3c054df4cd.jpg "This winter gardening checklist will set you up for spring success")
Do these winter garden chores so you're ready to start the next growing season.
Winter gardening is an opportunity to keep your garden clean during the cold months. Giving your trees and perennial beds some attention in the winter will help them look their best in the spring. You can also remove weeds and pests, strengthen your soil with compost, and plant seeds indoors to be ready to plant when the weather warms up again. The cold season is a good time to do a little maintenance on your gardening tools. Put the following winter gardening tasks on your to-do list so you're ready for your most successful growing season yet.
First winter checklist
1. Clean bird feeders and fill them with high-fat foods . Birds need more calories to stay warm during the winter, so avoid foods like sunflower seeds, peanuts, and sweets, all of which are high in fat that birds can quickly digest and turn into energy. Clean feeders every two weeks with a solution of 9 parts water and 1 part detergent. Clean off any debris, rinse and dry the feeder, then refill.
2. Fill your birdbath with clean and fresh water . Birds should drink water in winter, especially when there is no snow. Use a strong birdbath that can withstand freezing temperatures without cracking. Place it in a sunny place to keep it moist from time to time and fill it with fresh water every two days. Clean the sink once a month with a solution of 9 parts water to 1 part white vinegar.
Related: 15 Best Bird Baths of 2023 for a Beautiful, Bird-Friendly Garden
3. Beware of weeds . Check your lawn, garden and flower beds for winter weeds. Yes, some weeds continue to grow despite the cold. When they are still young, pull them by hand or with a shovel, destroying all the roots and underground parts. Mulch where you pull to keep weeds from coming back.
4. Mulch for perennial plant beds . Place 2 to 3 inches of mulch, shredded leaves, or bark on the bed to protect your garden's crowns and roots from temperature fluctuations.
Winter checklist
1. Pay attention to garbage . If you don't have a cool place to keep the compost cool, you can leave the compost bin open all winter.
Keep throwing kitchen scraps and dry leaves in the garbage . Do not use as much product as in warmer months as the decomposition process slows down in colder temperatures. Your compost will still turn to compost, but not as quickly. No more fall leaves? Use shredded paper, cardboard or straw.
Do not store again during the winter . The compost loses heat and rots slowly. Wait until spring returns.
Collect the finished compost . This is especially important if you have a small bowl or cup, because you need to make room for the new ingredients you add. Spread the fertilizer in the flower pots.
Related: 10 Best Compost Bins for Outdoors, Indoors, and Kitchens
2. Plan a garden and order seeds . Enjoy a seed catalog or two by the fire. Decide what to plant and where to plant it. Calculate and order the number of seeds you need, especially those you plan to start indoors. Seeds of your favorite zinnias, beans and heirloom tomatoes are available in January, so order before the spring craziness begins.
3. Recycling of green spaces during holidays . Cut your Christmas tree branches into 2- to 3-foot sections and use them as garden plants and perennial beds. You can do the same with flowers and gifts. These lightweight open branches allow moisture to reach the soil, protecting the roots and crowns of plants from severe cold.
4. Tree cutting . When removing leaves from trees, you can easily see dead, diseased or injured limbs. Cut the trees now while they are dormant so you don't have to wait for new growth.
Advice
Don't prune spring-blooming trees like dogwoods, magnolias, or mushrooms in winter, or you won't have flowers. Cut it after flowering.
End of winter checklist
1. Start planting vegetable and flower seeds at home . Check seed packets to find out how long it takes to grow seedlings from seed and to determine the last frost date in your area. Start seeds so you have plants ready to go into the ground when the weather warms. While peppers, eggplant, broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower take eight weeks to grow from seed to seedling size, lettuce goes from seed to seedling in six weeks. Sow seeds two months before the last frost date in your area so you'll be ready to remove the plants when the weather warms.
2. Protect soft fruit trees from diseases and pests . Control aphids, mites, and mayfly eggs by spraying dormant oil on the branches and stems of apples, peppers, peaches, and other fruits.
3. Pruning rose bushes . Roses should be pruned around the last frost date from late winter to early spring. You want to encourage your rose to develop strong roots rather than wasting energy on extra stems and leaves. Prune according to the needs of the plants.
Easy pruning: remove the plant below the third to form a new rose.
Moderate Pruning: For older roses that need better branch structure, do moderate pruning and reduce the plant to 18 to 24 inches tall, leaving 5 to 12 canes.
Rough Pruning: For a mature plant that needs rejuvenating, make a rough pruning and leave three to five cut canes 6 to 10 inches tall.
4. Prepare tools and equipment for spring . Sharp mower blades and pruners. Install chainsaws, fans, lawnmowers, stoves, and other electrical appliances. Find a shop or hardware store that services and repairs engines and small equipment and get yours now. They are very busy in the spring.
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