Winter Garden Care: Preparing Your Garden for a Cozy Winter’s Rest
Introduction
When winter rolls around, it might seem like gardening takes a long nap until spring arrives. But at From Scratch Farm, we know that the colder months are an important part of the gardening cycle—a time to prepare, nurture, and even sneak in some off-season activities that make all the difference when warm weather returns. Winter is all about tucking the garden in, keeping it cozy, and making sure everything is ready for the burst of new growth in spring.
In this blog, we’ll explore winter garden care—how to protect your plants, enrich your soil, and make the most of the winter months. Even when the snow falls and the air turns chilly, there’s still plenty of magic happening beneath the surface.
1. Preparing Your Garden Beds for Winter
As fall turns to winter, one of the first steps in winter garden care is to prepare your garden beds for their seasonal rest. Think of it like giving your garden a gentle bedtime routine—it’s about making sure everything is comfortable, safe, and set up for a great start in the spring.
Remove Spent Plants
Once your summer crops have finished producing, remove any spent or diseased plants from your garden beds. Leaving decaying plants can attract pests and spread disease, so cleaning up now will save headaches later. However, healthy plant material can be composted or left to provide cover for the soil.Add Organic Matter
Fall is a fantastic time to enrich your soil with compost or other organic matter. Spread a layer of compost over your garden beds before winter sets in. This will help protect the soil from erosion and add nutrients that’ll be available when spring comes. At From Scratch Farm, we like to think of this as tucking in the garden with a cozy blanket—keeping it warm, protected, and nourished.
2. Mulching: A Blanket for Your Soil
Mulch is another key part of winter garden care. Adding a thick layer of mulch over your garden beds helps insulate the soil, keeps moisture in, and protects the beneficial organisms living beneath the surface.
Straw, Leaves, and Wood Chips
At From Scratch Farm, we love using straw and shredded leaves for mulching. They’re easy to find, natural, and break down to add organic matter to the soil. You could also use wood chips in paths and around perennial plants. Mulching helps regulate soil temperature, ensuring that winter frost doesn’t damage the roots of any plants that are overwintering.Protecting Root Systems
For perennials, keeping roots warm and stable through the winter is essential. Mulching around the base of perennials—like herbs or flowering shrubs—helps ensure that their roots stay protected even in extreme cold. It’s like giving your plants a warm quilt for those chilly nights!
3. Winterizing Perennials and Shrubs
If you’ve got perennials or shrubs, they need a bit of attention before winter arrives.
Pruning
Some plants benefit from a good prune before winter. However, not all plants appreciate a trim right before the cold sets in. For example, berry bushes like raspberries can be pruned in late fall, while other plants are best left until early spring. At From Scratch Farm, we find that gentle pruning helps control the shape of our shrubs and remove any damaged or diseased branches that could be problematic later.Protecting Sensitive Plants
If you have tender perennials that don’t appreciate cold weather, consider covering them with burlap or frost cloth during particularly cold snaps. For small shrubs, even wrapping them lightly in burlap can help protect against wind and frost damage. In our garden, we call this the "plant cocoon" method—wrapping them snugly so they feel safe and secure.
4. Cover Crops: Keeping the Soil Alive
Winter doesn’t mean your garden beds have to be bare. Cover crops are a wonderful way to keep the soil healthy, even when the temperatures drop. Cover crops like clover, rye, or vetch help prevent soil erosion, add organic matter, and fix nutrients like nitrogen into the soil.
At From Scratch Farm, we often plant winter rye in our garden beds once our summer crops are done. It’s like giving the soil a protective winter sweater—something that keeps it warm, helps it heal, and prepares it for another productive season ahead.
5. Winter Care for Tools and Equipment
Winter isn’t just about caring for the garden beds; it’s also a time to look after the tools that have helped bring your garden to life.
Clean and Store Garden Tools
Before winter sets in, make sure to clean and oil your garden tools. This helps prevent rust and ensures they’re in good condition for spring. We give our tools a thorough clean, sharpen any dull blades, and store them in a dry place to protect them from moisture.Drain Hoses and Irrigation Systems
It’s important to drain garden hoses and irrigation systems before temperatures drop below freezing. Frozen water can cause hoses to crack and irrigation systems to break. At From Scratch Farm, we make sure everything is properly drained and stored so we don’t end up with unpleasant surprises come spring.
6. Keep an Eye on Potted Plants
If you have potted perennials, they’ll need some extra care over the winter. Pots are more susceptible to temperature changes, so either move your pots to a sheltered location—like a garage or shed—or wrap them in insulation to protect the roots. We sometimes cluster our potted plants together in a protected corner and cover them with burlap for added warmth—it’s like creating a cozy little plant community to help each other through the winter.
From Scratch Farm’s Winter Rituals
Winter at From Scratch Farm is a time for reflection and preparation. It’s when we take stock of what worked well, what we learned, and how we can do things even better in the coming season. We love using winter as an opportunity to plan for spring, dream up new garden designs, and spend time on creative projects like building bee hotels or crafting garden decorations.
We also make sure to nurture the parts of our farm that are still active in winter, like our compost piles. Winter composting may be slower, but it’s still a wonderful way to keep adding nutrients to the soil.
Tips for Winter Garden Care at Home
Leave a Little Wild
If you can, leave some areas of your garden a bit wild. The leftover stalks, leaves, and branches provide habitat for beneficial insects and hibernating pollinators.Embrace Cover Crops
Even a small patch of cover crops can make a difference in maintaining soil health through winter. Plus, it’s always nice to see something green peeking through the frost!Dream Big for Spring
Winter is the perfect time to plan for the upcoming growing season. Grab a notebook, browse seed catalogs, and dream up your perfect garden. Use this restful time to imagine what could be—winter is the time for garden dreams to take root.
Conclusion
Winter garden care is about giving your garden the attention it needs to rest well, stay healthy, and be ready for new growth. By preparing your beds, adding mulch, planting cover crops, and caring for your tools, you set your garden up for success in the coming spring. At From Scratch Farm, we cherish these quieter months as a time to prepare, dream, and ensure our garden is ready to burst forth with life when the warmer weather arrives.
So, wrap up your plants, prepare your soil, and enjoy the beauty of a winter garden that’s resting, healing, and preparing for its next adventure. Winter isn’t the end—it’s just a gentle pause before the symphony starts again.
