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Winter Gardening Tips - Urban Farmer's Guide
Home > Gardener's Guide > Winter Gardening Tips
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In mild-winter regions, where an occasional light frost is the worst it gets, the best way to extend the season is to keep on gardening through the winter. Along with winter gardening come many benefits including fewer pest and insects, less watering, and the taste of many winter crops is delicious. In addition to many cool-season vegetables, annual flowers such as pansies, calendula, stock, and primrose thrive in the winter. Autumn is prime planting time for a winter garden. Here are some tips to help you along the way to your perfect winter garden.
Plant on the north side
Choose a location for your plants with northern or eastern exposure rather than the south sky. Plants exposed to the south sky will be exposed to the southern sun on warm winter days and thus experience greater daily temperature variation.
Mulch
Apply a 3-4" inch layer of mulch to your garden, after the soil freezes to keep the soil cold rather than protecting the soil from becoming cold. This will help reduce root injury and help against continual freezing and thawing.
Wrap with twine
Protect your plants from the weight of frost by wrapping twine around your plant stems. The process is done by wrapping heavy twine at the base of the plant and winding it spirally around and upward to the top and back down. This will help prevent plant breakage and give you healthier plants.
Use a burlap screen
Stretch a section of burlap around a few stakes to help protect young plants from the south and west wind gust. A burlap screen protects from the drying winter sun, strong winds, and salts applied to roads and driveways.
Prevent Drying
Many plants can lose moisture through their leaves in the winter. Plant roots may be unable to absorb water through their roots because the soil may be frozen. Make sure to properly water through the growing season and into the fall. Decrease watering slightly in the fall to encourage hardening off, and then water thoroughly in October and continue until soil freezes.
Prevent animal damage
Some plants become a winter time food source for many animals including rabbits, mice, and voles. Make sure to protect your plants with fencing or other forms of protection to stop animal damage.
Tell a friend how to garden in the winter!
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