Jane likes to be ‘in the moment’ while she’s pottering in the garden, but sometimes you do need to think ahead and plan for the seasons to come. Subscribe 🔔 [ Ссылка ]
Autumn is a good time to prepare your garden for winter, especially in cold climates where the weather is more severe.
Planning ahead will also help prepare your garden to be up-and-growing when spring hits.
1. Tidy up
Get on top of any garden pests and diseases, and get on top of any invasive weeds, which will be easier to pull up now the soil is wetter.
Remove any diseased plants, fruit and leaves from fruit trees and roses, but don’t put this in the home compost – put them in the bin.
Clean up garden beds Crops that have gone to seed are fine to go in the compost. Don’t forget to add any fallen leaves from deciduous trees into the compost, too.
TIP: Collect ripe seed to sow again next season. Simply put the seed heads into a paper bag, wait for the seed to fall, and store it in an airtight container once it’s completely dry.
2. Feed and prepare your soil
Add some compost or manure to help the soil recover from the heavy feeding summer crops. It also helps to protect soil from frost, and keeps plants healthy over winter too.
Another option is sowing a green manure crop - you can buy mixes or make your own by mixing a legume, such as broad beans or peas, with a grain, such as oats, and any other vegetables and herbs. Leave these seeds to grow for a few weeks then, just before they flower, cut them down with a spade and dig them into the soil. All the goodness from the plants will be returned to the soil and, a month or so later, your patch will be primed with organic goodness, ready for growing a new spring crop.
If your area is prone to frost, remember that healthy plants have more capacity to resist frost damage, so make sure they’re well-fed and watered as frosts begin to set in. For a quick nutrient boost, water with a liquid fertiliser, preferably two weeks before frosts hit.
For last-minute care when frost is forecast for the next day: Move pot plants indoors, mulch the soil, water the garden the day before [because moist soil retains its heat better than dry soil], and cover tender plants overnight with old towels or sheets.
3. Take time out to audit your garden – review your space, even if it’s only a balcony or courtyard.
*Are there any dead spaces crying out for colour?
*Are there places that would benefit from grasses or other foliage plants for year-round interest?
*If plants are underperformers, consider why. Do they need more sun or shade? Are they being crowded out? Might they need feeding?
Now is a good time to lift any bulbs - whether in the ground or in pots - and give them a bit more space. Potted bulbs will benefit from fresh potting mix.
4. Set spring goals: many plants are happy to keep growing over winter, and actually need to be sown in autumn to ripen by spring or early summer. This includes onions, garlic, broad beans, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli and flowers, such as sweet peas.
Sweet peas can be grown in a relatively small garden space, so long as they have sun, something to climb up, and good airflow. Plant them now and you’ll be picking bunches of sweet-smelling flowers by spring.
5. Enjoy your winter garden
Create a cosy nook – if you have a corner that catches winter sun, make it a winter retreat by adding a table and chair where you can enjoy a cuppa and dose up on Vitamin D.
Featured plants:
Correa - Correa cv.
Filmed on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country | Preston, Vic
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