Winter Planning for a Successful Season

The weather outside may be frightful, but there’s still plenty of gardening related tasks to be accomplished during the winter season. Here are some things that can be done over the next few months in order to prepare for a successful gardening season to come.

• Help prevent damage to outside plants by gently brushing snow off of heavily laden shrubs and trees to prevent breakage and avoid burying shrubs and perennials when shoveling or blowing snow.
• Prune dead, diseased, or damaged wood on trees, shrubs & vines as soon as it is observed. A few minutes of tidying up now can save time later and give you some winter exercise.
• Add organic material to the compost pile or bin.
• Avoid walking on frozen lawns as it can break grass blades and damage crowns of the plants. Stick to driveways, sidewalks, and walking paths.
• Bare soil invites winter weeds into the garden. Cover bare areas with mulch and pull any weeds that appear to prevent them from going to seed in the spring.
• Monitor evergreens for bagworms sacks and remove them if found. Clip them off and bag them up to be disposed of with your household trash. Do not compost them. Bagworms can be highly destructive to trees such as arborvitae, spruce and cypress so clip the 1-2” sacks now to prevent the hundreds of eggs from hatching in the spring.
• Provide food and habitat for winter wildlife by keeping bird feeders and birdbaths filled throughout the season. You may even consider a birdbath heater which will keep the water just above freezing and available to wildlife that will desperately need it. Wait to cut back shrubs and perennials until the spring so that wildlife will have some winter cover. This will also increase the visual interest in your garden throughout the season.
• Read gardening books and magazines and plan for next year’s garden designs.
• Plant bulbs until the ground freezes or during a thaw or store in the refrigerator.
• Cut evergreens for fresh, indoor decorations.
• Keep firewood outside until 1-2 days before burning to prevent critters from waking up inside your home.
• Order seeds for next season.
• Clean & disinfect pots & containers.
• Have your soil tested before purchasing or applying any fertilizers or soil amendments.

Also, don't neglect your trusty tools!  Here are some tips on caring for your tools this winter so they'll be at their best when you need them next season.

• Check hoses and sprinklers for leaks. Small leaks can result in large quantities of wasted water and higher utility bills. Drain, coil & store hoses in a dry, protected area where they will not freeze.
• Remove any soil, vegetation, or rust from all tools using a strong stream of water, a wire brush, or scraper. Grill cleaning brushes work great for this task.
• Lubricate all tool pivot points and springs.
• Sharpen hoes, spades, loppers, pruners, and saws.
• Check all tools thoroughly for loose screws or nuts and tighten them accordingly. Replace or repair broken handles and other bent or broken parts.
• Spray all bare metal parts and cutting edges with a penetrating oil to prevent rust.
• Sand wooden handles smooth and wipe with boiled linseed oil to help prevent wood from cracking and drying or paint handles a bright color for quick and easy location in the garden.
• Repair or replace any tools with bent blades or teeth.
• All sprayer parts should be thoroughly washed and rinsed before storing. Most pesticide labels recommend a triple rinsing of sprayers. Oil any moving parts as instructed in the owner’s manual. Store sprayer upside down to allow it to drain and dry thoroughly.
• Store any chemicals out of the weather where they will not freeze. Check chemical labels for expiration dates. If expired, dispose of them as hazardous waste.
• Clean wheelbarrows, carts, and wagons thoroughly and remove and rust before touching up paint chips with spray paint to prevent rust in the future. Check tire pressure, inflate if needed, and grease wheels to keep them rolling smoothly and prevent squeaking. Store in a dry area.
• Clean and service lawn mowers and other power equipment such as tillers, chippers, trimmers, or weed eaters according to the instructions in the owner’s manual and store in a dry area.
• Avoid storing gasoline over the winter as old gasoline does not ignite easily, making the machines using it work harder, and often leading to frustration getting them to start. If you do store fuel, be sure it is in a will ventilated area away from your dwelling space.

What to do on a rainy day?

Do you think since it's raining out that you can't work on your garden?  Think again!  If you're not averse to getting a little damp and having muddy knees, a little summer rain makes the perfect conditions for weeding and transplanting.  Rain loosens up the soil around plant roots, helping those pesky weeds to slide right out when you give them a tug at the soil line and moist soil combined with cloudy or overcast skies help to reduce the shock plants receive when they are moved to a new home.  Just be careful not to trample beds too much or you may compact the soil, making it difficult for plant roots to penetrate as they grow.  Of course, if there is thunder or lightning, be sure to seek safety immediately!  Even if it's storming, you can always peruse catalogs and garden books to plan for changes or additions to your garden or research any recent pest or disease issues you've been experiencing.  Give the Master Gardeners at your local county extension office a call if you get stuck.  Now what are you waiting for?  Get to work!

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