The cold weather is starting to creep its way in and us gardeners are bummed that this year’s gardening season is officially over. Turn that frown upside down because there’s still so much you can do with your green thumb and your gardening tools. It’s time to get your garden ready for winter.
But wait, get my garden ready for winter? Yes, that’s right! Your garden needs attention before the cold weather hits, just like it needs attention before the warm spring sun makes its first appearance. Both are essential for a happy, healthy, lush garden come spring and summertime.
Let’s get to it! Follow along with Full Circle Compost as we teach you how to winterize your garden to prepare it for spring.
Winterizing Your Garden in Nevada
Nevada gardening sure can be tricky with the harsh seasons we experience here every year. One of the most important things you can do after the gardening season is to prepare your garden for winter.
Winterizing your garden protects all those good-for-your-plants nutrients that live happily in your soil. When we give our garden beds, lawns, and landscapes a nice cozy blanket of protection and nutrients, they have the opportunity to grow green like crazy when the warm weather comes around next year.
It’s easy, it really is! And it give you gardeners one last chance to get out and play in your soil.
Step 1: Dig Out Last Year’s Crops
You’re going to first identify which of your plants are perennials and which are annuals–do you know the difference? Perennials are plants that will grow back each year, plants like strawberries, chives, and potatoes. Annuals only live and produce for one growing season, and then they die off, meaning you need to replant every year. Some examples of annuals are corn, watermelon, and wheat.
Once you know which plants are perennials and which are annuals, dig up those annuals and let the perennials stay in place.
Step 2: Toss the Soil Around
Take a shovel or rake and really loosen up the soil. You want everything to be very soft and fluffy, so keep digging and shoveling until you get there.
Step 3: BOOST It!
You’re going to want to build great fertility in your soil during the stagnant winter months, so it’s time to give your soil a BOOST! Full Circle’s BOOST will pre-condition your soil with the tasty, wholesome nutrients that hungry you plants will crave come spring.
Just spread 1/4inch of BOOST over your soil and rake it smooth.
Step 4: PROTECT It!
All those great nutrients you just fed your soil have to stay nice and warm throughout the winter, so what do we do? PROTECT that soil!
Full Circle’s PROTECT will give your soil a nice cozy blanket all winter long, allowing those nutrients to grow even better.
Instead of PROTECTing your soil, you can also go ahead and plant a cover crop instead. Cover crops do just the same protecting that mulch does. Our goal is to give our soil a great environment to thrive during the cold season.
Wait For Spring Gardening
We told you it was easy! Now your garden is ready for spring.
Want to hear it from Farmer Craig? Here he is explaining all of the Winterize Your Garden steps.
