Preparing the garden for winter: 8 top tips

Preventing damage to plants

Plants grown in pots usually appreciate a change of location in winter to get more sunshine and enjoy warmer temperatures. Group them together so that they can protect each other. Don't forget about their roots: protect the pot with newspaper, bubble wrap or straw mulch to slightly increase the temperature of the soil in the pots. Your plants' roots will thank you for it.It never hurts to buy a few metres or bags of garden fleece frost cover to cover trees, shrubs and other types of plants. Unlike plastic, this material allows the plant to breathe and the light to reach it. It can also be used to cover cultivation tunnels in your vegetable garden.

Lawn really benefits from a good scarification in the autumn, which will help drainage and reduce the appearance of moss. This is also a good time to reseed those unsightly bold areas in the lawn.

If the weather gets very humid, the best option is to apply an anti-moss product. It will provide the lawn with two essential nutrients for the winter: iron and sulfur. After applying the product and waiting for it to act, you will be able to simply remove both moss and thatch with a rake. 

Do not mow the lawn, let it grow so it can cope better with the low winter temperatures. In late autumn, apply a fertiliser rich in phosphorus and potassium, which will also help it survive the winter. And as much as it is possible, avoid stepping on it when frozen.

Another way of preparing the garden for winter is pruning trees and shrubs, as most plants are dormant during the cold season. The absence of foliage will allow you to better see the trees' branches in order to prune them, as well as to apply preventive treatments to eliminate pests that hide in their bark during the winter.

This is also the time to prune rose bushes, wisteria, and apple and pear trees: they will really benefit from it, and you will see the results in the spring with new and more productive shoots.

If you have a greenhouse, remove any structure that you have put in place to provide shade during the summer. In the winter you have to make the most of the sunshine and the heat that it provides. If this is your first year with a greenhouse, keep an eye on it for a few days to figure out which areas get more hours of sunshine during the day, and put your plants there. 

Check the condition of the polycarbonate sheets for possible tears and breaks. Make sure the paraffin burners are up and ready, just in case you need to turn them on. Also, check that the ground anchoring system is in good condition.

Both compost and mulch will protect your flower beds from low temperatures. Compost will also provide important nutrients to the soil, which your plants will greatly benefit from next spring.

The autumn season generates a lot of organic waste: make good use of it by adding it to your compost pile. Cover your compost bins with plastic to avoid them filling with water, as this would contribute to the appearance of microorganisms that could alter the composting process.

If you have a shed in your garden, use it to store all the garden furniture that you won't use during the colder months. If you don't have a shed, protect the furniture with waterproof covers. 

Wooden benches, tables, loungers and chairs all benefit from regular maintenance. Use protective oils to waterproof them and make them last longer. If you have metal garden furniture, make sure that the paint is in good condition to prevent the furniture from rusting with moisture.

Cold and humid winter days are perfect for carrying out DIY and maintenance jobs inside the house, where it's nice and warm. Take this opportunity to tune up your tools: sharpen and lubricate your pruning shears to have them ready when you need them, change the broken or chipped handles of hand tools, check the mower and buy spare parts which you may need in the spring.

Use this time to clean and tidy up your shed before storing anything in there. Make sure you store boxes and other belongings making them easy to access according to when you might need them in the future. Always wash your seedling trays and transplanting pots with a bleach and water solution, in order to leave them ready for spring.

If winter is hard for us, imagine how challenging it is for birds to find food. You can put feeders and water bowls or dispensers not only in the garden, but also the porch, the terrace and even the balcony. If you place them close to the house windows, you will be able to enjoy watching the birds come and go, and you will learn about the different bird species in your area and their habits and behaviour.

You can buy seed mixtures rich in fats and oils, which will provide birds with maximum energy. Don't forget to regularly add water to the water dispensers and bowls, since it is very likely that they will not be able to find it in liquid form during the coldest months.