This post, sourced from my monthly newsletter provided by 2-10 Home Warranty, has been reformatted for enhanced legibility and ease of understanding.
Introduction
If you have a garden, you likely dedicated lots of time to it over the year. To give yourself a head start for next year, it’s important to begin winterizing your garden, before the first frost if possible. We’ll give you some easy ways to start winterizing your garden, along with a bonus tip for raised-bed care!
Eliminate Weeds Early
It’s tempting to hope that the cold will kill off weeds for you. But you’ll be in a much better spot if you eliminate weeds yourself before it gets too cold. Identify and pull all weeds from anywhere they appear, in or around your garden. Doing so protects next year’s garden and soil against three major problems.
Three significant issues resulting from weed infestation
Proliferation. Allowing weeds to stick around throughout winter gives them a better chance of going to seed and rooting down deeper. That means extra weeding in the spring and summer. Nip this problem in the bud and give yourself a fresh start next spring by pulling weeds before the first frost.
Pest. The longer weeds stick around, the more likely it is that pests will use them as shelter and places to lay eggs.
Pathogens. Like pests, weeds can become a cesspool for plant damaging pathogens.
Remove Annuals
Another temptation you may face as a gardener is letting your perennial plants (marigolds, tomatoes, radishes) die and decompose naturally. Resist this temptation. Annuals will die in the winter, and they simply won’t come back. Worse, annuals can harbor pests and pathogens, just like weeds. By leaving them in to essentially rot, you’re putting your garden at a disadvantage. Once your annuals begin to die (drying out, not producing flowers or fruit), dig them up and throw them away. Generally, you don’t want to compost these plants, since they can transfer pests and disease to your compost.
Re-space Perennials
On the other hand, you can leave perennials (dahlias, hydrangeas) in the ground. However, if you notice that your perennials have grown a little closer together than you want, gently dig a few up and give them proper spacing. For bulb perennials, you can gently separate the roots from the parent bulb and replant them. This can help your garden look fuller in the spring
If you are thinking of buying or selling a home in the Triad area of NC, please contact me.
JJ Brannon Weichert Realtors Triad Associates
Realtor Independently owned and operated
Cell: (336) 448-9175 Office: (336) 759-0060
Email: jjbrannon@weicherttriad.com 3061 Trenwest Dr.; Winston-Salem, NC 27103
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