Frosty temperatures and short days remind us that winter is here and that outdoor gardening is done for a while. Here are a few practices you should develop to end this growing season and ready your garden for the next season.
- Greenhouse: Remove all old plant material, as pests and disease can overwinter in dead leaves. If your heat-activated vent opener is black and brass, remove the cylinder. If you purchased your greenhouse from us in 2022 or 2023, you would have a different opener and it should be fine to leave in place over winter. Use soap and water with hydrogen peroxide to wash down the shelf (about 1 tablespoon per litre of water).
- Pots: Empty your ceramic pots and put them someplace where they won’t get snowed or rained on over the winter months. A shed, garage or even under a tarp will work. Remember that moisture expands when it freezes so if there is moisture in the soil in the pots, you run the risk of breakage, which is why I empty the pots into my compost.
- Perennials: Cut back any perennials that show signs of disease like powdery mildew and dispose of the cuttings in the garbage (not in your compost).
- Garden Beds: Top your garden beds with finished compost and top your strawberry and garlic beds and other perennials with leaf mulch or straw mulch.
- Rain Barrels: Empty your rain barrels. Leave the valves open. Some people turn them upside down to avoid capturing mid winter melt which can then freeze and damage your valve or barrel.
- Watering Hose: Disconnect your hose from the main water source and ensure the hose is empty. If your house has a shutoff valve for the external hose bib, turn that off and then open the exterior bib so it is emptied of all water.
