Get Your Garden Ready for Winter With This Checklist

Sadly Old Man Winter is creeping closer and closer to our area. So it's time to think about putting away the garden tools and getting out the snowblower.
But before you do, there's a few things that you should be doing in the garden right now to better prepare it for the winter months ahead. For the full list of 10 chores to do this month, check out my blog (link is below).
Empty any terracotta or ceramic pots of it's contents, dirt and all. Then give them a good scrub with a wire brush before washing them with a soapy water mixed with a bit of bleach. Store them upside down in a heated garage or shed.
Drain your garden hoses and disconnect them. Try storing them in a large bucket hung from a hook in the garage rather than having them lie around all winter.
Stake younger trees to protect them from leaning due to harsh winds and heavy snowfall.
Empty your rain barrels. Leaving water in them over the winter may cause them to crack - even plastic ones. Trust me, we have first hand experience. Divert the downspout away from the rain barrel and leave the water spout open so that any rain will automatically drain out.
Heather (New House New Home)
Want more details about this and other DIY projects? Check out my blog post!
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  • RoseToti RoseToti on Oct 22, 2015
    Mmmmm...will need to be done here Heatheras the water in the butts do freeze and crack.
  • Teresa Teresa on Sep 03, 2017

    Staking a tree that does not need it can do more harm than good. Movement of the trunk helps strengthen it by thickening it and giving it taper from bottom to top. Trunk movement also stimulates root growth. So although staked trees might grow taller faster than their un-staked counterparts, their trunks are weaker and their root systems are less developed.

    When done incorrectly, staking further compounds a young tree’s problems. If a tree is tied to a stake too tightly, girdling can occur, weakening and even possibly killing the tree unless the problem is addressed in time. Movement of a tree above where it is tied too tightly to a stake, like movement of an un-staked trunk, results in a thicker trunk above the tie. This difference in thickness upsets smooth travel of water and nutrients up and down the developing trunk. Too tight a tie coupled with too rigid a stake can anchor a plant so firmly below the tie that a strong wind can actually blow off the top of the tree. Tying a tree too loosely to a stake also causes problems. The bark is continuously rubbed, resulting in wounds that may never heal properly.


    • Rockyroad Rockyroad on Oct 21, 2018

      Excellent comment ! I rarely stake trees when planting to allow stronger root development by tree "wiggling " a bit and roots wanting to anchor more . But , beware of winds blowing trees into slanted shapes that could persist with maturity . Landscape architects often require stakes , if so remove after 1-2 yrs .

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