Learning how to prepare your garden for winter can give you the head start you need when it is time to open your gardens again in the spring.

Closing your garden down for the winter can be a sad feeling as you watch everything settle down for the year.

But taking the time to prepare your garden for the long hard winter will make it easier to dive right back in when the spring comes.

GARDEN WINTER PREP

Follow these steps to get your garden ready for winter. Begin with removing weeds and other unwanted plants from your garden.

Make sure that you are looking for signs of pests and disease that needs to be dealt with before the next planting season. This is a good time to plan what beds need to be rotated next growing season for the best soil quality.

When your last plants for the year are harvested, go ahead and till the stalks right into the ground.

PREPARING YOUR GARDEN BEDS FOR WINTER

This is a great time to add compost from your composter or organic matter such as fallen leaves. This will break down in the soil and helps your plants thrive next year. Prune plants that need fall pruning so they are ready for the hard winter.

Add some mulch around perennials. This will give them an extra layer to help protect them from the harsh cold winter.

PROTECT YOUR PLANTS DURING THE WINTER

The thicker the mulch layer the more protection your plants will have from the harsh winter weather. Adding a weed barrier under the mulch can help add a layer of protection from pests as well.

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