How to Winterize Your Garden in 3 Easy Steps!

2 Materials
$5
30 Minutes
Easy

Put your garden to bed for the winter in just three easy steps.

Over the years, I’ve tried different methods of winterizing our garden. These ranged from doing absolutely nothing to covering the garden area with different materials. When we had a traditional row garden, I used tarps to keep the weeds down and the ground (slightly) warmer. Now that we’ve started square-foot gardening, I’ve been mulching our beds in the winter. It’s simple and effective.




  1. Clean out any leftover (i.e. dead) plants and any debris that won’t break down. If a plant has finished producing, or can't take the winter frosts, then pull it up or cut it off at the base.

2.Use a garden rake to even out and break up the top layer of soil. (I prefer a  bow rake, since its strong rake head breaks up dirt and grabs left behind roots.)


3.Optional: Add a layer of compost to feed the soil over the winter months. (Don’t know how to compost? Check out  How to Start Composting and How to Direct Compost!)


4.Spread a thick layer of mulch over the top of your soil. Voila!

Last winter I mulched two beds in pine bark mulch and two beds in cedar mulch. The beds mulched with pine turned out great, while those mulched with cedar eventually grew weeds and had some bugs. It could have simply been that specific batch of mulch, but I’ll be shying away from cedar mulch in the future. Some folks use hay or straw, which can be a good option if you have it available. I’ve even used pine straw and fallen leaves some years and the results have been great!


In the spring, I simply rake away the mulch layer (or mix it in if it was thin layer of leaves instead of mulch) and begin mixing in my compost. I’ll do this a few weeks before planting. You can reserve the mulch for using around your plants in the garden. This is a great way to keep moisture in the soil and cut down on weeding.


For now sit back and enjoy the late fall and winter months, and give your soil the much needed rest it deserves. You can even start planning out your spring garden. You know what they say about the early worm!

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Courtney |The Kitchen Garten
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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