7 Ways to Prepare for Winter in your Garden

1. Prepare planting beds for winter. Clear weeds and rocks. Till soil and add soil amendments.
2. Store away and clean any unused pots and containers that can be used as hiding places by overwintering insects, slugs and spiders.
3. Clean up dead leaves, deadhead flowering plants; diseased leaves should go in the garbage, the rest can go in the compost pile.
4. If frost is imminent, be sure to water your garden (if it hasn’t rained recently).
5. Frost alert: Water your plants, spray tender plants with Wilt Pruf to prevent wind / freeze burn. Cover with N-Sulate Blanket for further protection. Note: remove frost blankets during the daytime hours.
6. Kill overwintering pests and their eggs to prevent disease. Use Bonide All Seasons Oil and Monterey Liqui-Cop when roses and fruit trees have lost their leaves.
7. Pull weeds before they have a chance to drop seeds. After it rains, weed seeds, (including grass weeds), will germinate in 5 to 10 days. Applying Safer Weed Prevention Plus or Bonide Maize ready-to-spray (both composed of corn gluten) is a safe and non-toxic way to prevent weeds from sprouting. Apply after rain in your planting beds and other areas where weeds are not wanted.

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