Tonight the weather people are expecting our first hard freeze in Tennessee. It will then officially end the growing season! This is not entirely true though. The plants are still growing roots. Plants planted now will grow strong root systems though the winter and should have great foliar growth in the spring. Here are some tips on what to do in the garden after the first frost.
How to Winterize Your Garden
- Remove all hoses from the nozzles to prevent pipes from cracking. Any water left in the nozzle could be damaging so its best not to take chances.
- Time to clean garden tools and get organized so that everything will be ready to go in the spring. Clean and sharpen shovels, pruners and other tools and also perform any lawn mower maintenance needed.
- Put excess leaves in the compost bin. NEVER throw out or burn leaves! Put them in the bin or mulch them with your mower into the grass. Composted leaves are some of the best sources of organic material you can add to the compost pile. You don’t even need an official pile. Just rake the leaves into a seldom used corner of your yard and let them go! You could also put them in a black plastic bag and poke several holes in it. This will speed up some of the composting.
- Use leaves as a mulch on garden beds. It’s free and does a great job at insulating. (Read more: 5 Reasons to Love Your Leaves)
- Mulch everywhere you can. A fresh layer of mulch will help you perennials and trees continue to form their root systems by locking in heat and moisture underground. It also will help prevent heaving in the soil because of the freezing temperatures in winter.
- Let your mowers and weed eaters use up any fuel after their final use for the season. This prevents water from forming in the fuel tank.
