# 6 Tips To Prepare Your Garden For Winter.

- Link: https://rd2.co.nz/5-tips-to-prepare-your-garden-for-winter/
- Published: 2023-05-02T00:59:45+00:00
- Author: RSF Admin

Winter can be challenging for growing produce as harsh weather conditions, and low
temperatures can damage plants and soil. We want to ensure your garden thrives all
year round, including during the colder winter months.

Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or a total beginner, there are always new things
to learn about your garden, especially when we consider the environmental changes
we are all experiencing to some degree. Read on to learn how you can protect your
garden this winter.

Let’s get to it. Here are our six tips that you should keep in mind as we approach
winter:

## 1. Start with a blank canvas

An annual clean-up will do wonders for your garden! Firstly, pick or remove any 
remaining Summer crops from your garden, including weeds. Compost anything that 
can be composted, and begin preparing your soil for your winter vegetables. Adding
compost will provide food for organisms that will in turn, feed your soil and plants.
Remember, quality compost is important to ensure you are not bringing pathogens 
to your plot.   

## 2. Create healthy soil

We encourage adding beneficial microorganisms when preparing your winter garden 
beds. Products like [Superzyme](https://rd2.co.nz/product/superzyme/) and [Rootella](https://rd2.co.nz/product/sale-rootella-g-mycorrhizal-fungi-granular-1kg-organic/)
will enhance soil life and re-introduce organisms that plants require to function
normally. Additionally, Superzyme contains beneficial bacteria and fungi that can
improve soil structure, texture, and nutrient levels. 

## 3. Protect your plants from frost

Yes, your plants get cold too! It is a common occurrence during the winter months
for those regions susceptible to frosts. When the temperature drops below freezing,
the water inside the plant’s cells freezes, causing the cells to rupture and the
plant to die. However, don’t panic. There are ways you can protect your plants from
frost damage. 

One way is to cover your plants with a frost cloth or blanket. Use draped over hoops
or stakes and touching the ground to provide insulation from frost and the added
advantage of allowing sunlight and air to circulate while providing a barrier against
pests.

## 4. Water your garden appropriately

In winter, plants don’t require as much water as in the warmer months. However, 
it is still important to keep the soil moist, as dry soil can cause roots to die
off. 

We recommend watering your plants once a week, preferably in the morning, allowing
them to dry before the temperature drops during the night, which can cause them 
to freeze. Obviously, if it rains that week, jobs done. Rootella, mycorrhizal fungi,
increases water uptake by plants and can provide protection during extremes of weather
from drought to very wet conditions.

## 5. Only plant winter crops

This is KEY! Winter is a great time to plant your root vegetables for those delicious
winter roasts. Think potatoes, swede, carrots, beets and garlic all of which thrive
in the cooler temperature. Others, such as leek and brussel sprouts have a high 
survival rate when competing with frost and with the addition of beneficial organisms
and fungi, you can grow nutrient-dense, tasty crops all year round.

## 6. Prune

Pruning is important to remove any deadwood, diseased or damaged plant parts, preventing
the spread of disease and allowing sunlight and air to circulate around all parts
of the plant.  In the autumn, you can prune and thin out fruit bushes such as blueberries
and also any flowering trees, shrubs or vines that have finished blooming.  

Pruning encourages strong growth and increases flower and fruit production.  If 
you have fruit trees, such as apples, pears or plums, prune mid-winter to encourage
a good crop of fruit.  

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