Winterizing Your Garden
Despite the traditional concerns associated with winter, the season is not all bad for plant
life. Snow actually insulates plants, and trees much in the way that mulch
does. It keeps the soil in place and prevents runoff as well. It’s mostly the
top most part of trees that are in danger. The weight of snow can crush, snap,
break, and distort the carefully pruned structure of a trees crown. This can
lead to falling limbs which endanger you and your family as well as your
property.
The first step to winterizing your garden is to clean it up. This
means removing any debris, dead stalks, or weak plants. When these are left
behind during the winter they become safe havens for insects and infestations. It’s
important to note that insects will lay eggs in such environments and they will
survive through the winter which is why you remove them. After the garden is
organized you are going to want to lay about three inches worth of compost to
the garden bed. This is so that winter precipitation will push nutrients into
the ground. In truth this is just the tip of the iceberg regarding the process
of winterizing your garden.