Tips For Winter Gardening

A gardeners work is never finished, there is always things to do around the garden no matter what time of year it is. We certainly do less 'gardening' in the winter but there is still plenty to be done. These are our top tips and tasks to carry out in the winter:

Reduce your watering

Plants need much less water when the weather's cooler. Including pot plants, so make sure you cut back on their watering too.

Tip

If you use a watering can, take the chill off tap water by mixing with a small amount of hot water. It shouldn’t feel warm – just slightly tepid to the touch. This means it won’t shock the roots so much.

Change your timer settings

If you have automatic timers on your taps, it's a good idea to change their settings, or turn them off altogether.

Save the rain water

Winter is the wettest season in many climates, so don’t let that precious water go to waste. Install a tank now so that you can store water for the future.

Hose care

Always empty the last of the water from your hose after you finish using it, this is particularly important in frost areas. If you don't intend to use your hose all winter, store it, you could increase it's life span by years.

Provide bird food

Planting native plants which the birds would naturally feed on during the winter is the best way to look after our native birds.

Water

This is especially important where natural resources freeze up. Creating a pond or water feature is a great way to do this, check out our

Tip

Make sure the water stays ice free - a floating ball does the job, if the water freezes take the ball out leaving a hole.

Fix drainage issues

If your soil has drainage problems then winter is when they'll show themselves. With a garden fork push holes into the heavy soil. Create surface drains to carry away excess water.

Add gypsum or a soil conditioner

Digging gypsum into clay, binds particles together and allows the air to get in between the particles, helping excess water to drain away. We recommend either Garden Mate by Earthlife or Natural Gypsum by QLD Organics.

Mulching

Deep layers of mulch can keep the soil below cold and damp for three months or more. Removing some of the thickness of mulch will allow the sun to penetrate and warm up the soil.

Move your pots

If you have sensitive pot plants move them indoors, into a greenhouse or into a sheltered area.

Use your microclimate

Planting sensitive plants against warm walls or sheltered areas could help them through a cold winter.

Frost protection sprays

In the lead up to cold weather, water tender plants with a seaweed based solution. Then apply a biodegradable frost protection spray, as the frost protection sprays are biodegradable you will need to apply again monthly.

Cover up

Frost cloth is great for vulnerable plants which can't be moved, it traps the heat in, slowly releasing it at night, and because it allows rain and about 70% of light through it can be left in place for long periods of time.

Winter weeding

Get them out before they seed, weeds come out of wet ground more easily so winter is the perfect time to do some weeding. See our blog 5 Tips For A Weed Free Garden for help on weed removal.

Pruning

If you haven't finished all you pruning then make sure you do it before the new growth comes through in the spring.

Rubbish removal

Get rid of any garden rubbish which you aren't composting, rake up the last of the fallen leaves and dispose of any weeds you've removed.

DIY Tasks

Make the most of a cool, dry winters day by carrying out your garden construction and DIY. Physical work is less tiresome in the cool rather than a blazing hot summers day, and any jobs you do now will be ready for you to enjoy in the spring.