5 of the Worst Garden Mistakes in Winter
Garden mistakes in winter are more common than you might think. Even though we don’t use them as much as any other seasons, there are still maintenance and planning tasks that need to be done. Health and safety come first, and any plants need to be protected from the frost.
Neglecting to Care for the Lawn
It is quite the challenge to mow an overgrown lawn in the dead of winter when grass is frozen over. Lawns need protection and care when it’s cold so they don’t die and get brown spots when the warmer weather comes in. It helps to mow the lawn just before it begins to freeze in late November and early to mid-December and carry on throughout. Grub prevention techniques will also help prevent brown spots from appearing as the little buggers come out when it warms up.
Not Tidying Up the Garden
It is essential to take pride in your garden and treat it as an extension of your home. That means cleaning and maintenance as if it were any other part of your house. The wind alone can blow litter and other debris all over the garden, which can really pile up over the season if you leave it. But even worse, any debris that does come into your garden will attract pests, from bugs to rodents, that can destroy the beds and shrubbery that adorn your wonderful outdoor space.
Garden Mistakes and Gardening Tools
As an extension to keeping your garden clean and tidy, it also helps to ensure any tools and equipment are stored away correctly. A garden shed or toolbox is all it really takes, and neither is expensive. Consider a survey from the UK that found spades alone account for around 3,600 hospital admissions from injury. Almost all gardening-related mishaps and accidents can be avoided with the proper storage and stowing of potentially dangerous gardening items.
Inadequate Protection for Plants
There are some hardy plants that stand up to the winter and do well as they lie dormant. But some need a little extra protection and require some work. Trees, shrubs, and herbs can be damaged by the harsher climate of the winter season. To help them, you can provide a thick layer of mulch made of compost, manure, straw, and bark. This helps protect the plants where they stand. But it also ensures they have the nutrients they need for healthy growth in spring.
Planting for Spring Too Late
Trying to dig up soil in winter is a fool’s errand. It is almost impossible, and even machinery can have a hard time. You may get lucky, and the ground isn’t as frozen as usual as we often have a warm winter. But even then, your attempts are futile. Certain plants for a spring bloom must be planted in late autumn rather than winter. This is because the amount of rain they need is typically provided during this time, and winters are often a lot dryer even though it’s cold.
Summary
Not taking care of the lawn before and during winter is one of the biggest gardening mistakes you can make. Leaving tools lying around is also dangerous. And you can plant too late.