Top Tips for Preparing your Garden for Winter
27-09-2018 Blog
After the fantastic summer we’ve had in Kent we’re now finally drawing into autumn. Now’s the time when your garden will start retreating for winter but don’t be fooled – this doesn’t necessarily mean you can sit back, relax and watch it happen. A bit of work now will do your garden a world of good come spring so don’t put the green thumb away just yet. We’ve put together a handful of tips if you fancy doing one last bit of gardening.
Rot and rust control
With the nights getting cooler, and dew appearing in the mornings, rot can become a bit of a problem. Some plants will need a bit of maintenance to ensure they don’t succumb. It’s a good idea to keep deadheading dahlias, dead flowers should be pulled from courgettes, and water pumpkins if the weather is dry to ensure you make the most of the harvest. You may also see rust appearing on pelargoniums, so try to move them into sunny positions (rust prefers the damp). Try to generally maintain hygiene by removing any fallen foliage from pots, and re-pot once a year.
Weed kill the lawn
Autumn is a good time to apply weed killer to your lawn to get rid of any seeds that have landed on it during the summer. It will make your weeding job a lot easier in the spring. Once you’ve applied weed killer, make sure to keep any pets inside for a couple of hours to allow the poison to get into the offending weeds.
Keep picking your tomatoes
If you have tomatoes, you should regularly pick them during autumn to prevent a fungal infection. Pick away the ripened fruit to allow the next batch to grow.
Make evergreen cuttings
If you want to, now’s a great time to take cuttings of evergreens. For example, a heel cutting of box and camellia can be put into a mix of loam and sand and kept in a cool, shaded position for the winter. Keep it covered and out of the cold and the cuttings should be firmly rooted and ready to be potted by the end of spring.
Get rid of the mulch
While you inspect your garden, try to remove mulch from stems and the trunks of trees and shrubs – it will help prevent mold/mildew growth during the winter by eliminating moisture traps.
Enjoy it!
Once you’ve made sure nothing’s gone disastrously wrong, or is going to go disastrously wrong during the winter, you can now relax and enjoy the beauty that is an English garden in the autumn. If you want to learn more about how to keep your plants alive during winter, click here for an insightful read by Sloane & Sons.
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