Winter Gardening Do’s And Don’ts

Even though the temperatures are dropping, that doesn’t mean that you can ignore your leafy friends – so what are the do’s and don’ts of winter gardening?

It’s only natural that we seem to spend most of our time in the garden during the summer. After all, long days and balmy evenings make spending time in the great outdoors a pleasure instead of a chore. 

However, as the weather cools down, most of us tend to retreat inside. Our gardens don’t have the luxury to do that, and both budding and experienced green thumbs are often surprised when they learn about which plants in your garden need what, and when. 

Your Guide To Winter Gardening 

Even in the subtropics and northern parts of the country, morning temperatures can still fall to single digits. While gardening enthusiasts may not actually realise that all plants have natural mechanisms that protect them from harsh conditions, unfortunately this includes weeds too. 

Thus, to keep your veggie patches, flowers and shrubs in tip top condition throughout the cooler months, it’s important that you are weather savvy when it comes to winter gardening – but what are the general do’s and don’ts in order to get it right? 

Do: Add Mulch – The fine arts that are mulching and composting work wonders when it comes to moisture retention and keeping weeds at bay. Just remember in cooler climates, mulch can hold first in the soil so a little goes a long way! Ultimately, organic matter breaks down over time to improve the quality of your soil via nutrients sourced from natural substances. In a nutshell, mulch is your garden’s BFF – especially when getting ready for winter. 

Do: Pamper Your Lawn – Be sure to fertilise your lawn so that it’s in it’s best shape before the winter frosts arrive, which helps to minimise any potential stress associated with the weather changes and room for weeds to potentially take hold.  Try an organic and chemical free plant food like Biotic Booster for a safer alternative. Just remember, If your lawn gets less light in the winter it will need less water.

Do: Protect Against Frost – Although this may seem like the obvious choice, move any potted plants that live on your terrace or verandah inside. Without the protective benefits of the earth, they are much more susceptible to root damage in colder temperatures. To protect your garden from frost, use cloches and wrap your trees too if you live in a colder part of the country. 

Don’t: Plant The Wrong Varieties – If you don’t pay attention to what the best types of plants are to introduce prior to winter, there’s a high chance that they won’t make it through the colder months. Before winter sets in, bulbs need to go in the ground, as do edibles and bare-rooted roses and trees. Avoid planting sun loving species such as citrus trees. 

Don’t: Stop Watering – Moist soil has an insulating effect, which radiates heat upward come nightfall. Although it may defy logic on the surface, keeping soil damp actually helps to protect them from the cold, so water in the morning to give your garden the hydration that it still needs, while also minimising the effects of frost. 

Don’t: Forget About Weeding – Weeds never sleep, even in winter. While you may not see many of the lawn and garden weeds that you commonly contest with in the summertime, you will see a whole different group of invaders pop up. An organic way to combat weeds during the winter time can be found via a product like Bioweed, known as a “healthy way to spray”.

Boosting The Health Of Your Garden For Winter 

Do your plants – and yourself – a favour, and give them a head start by optimising the overall health of the soil found in your backyard. By adding a chemical free garden food like Biotic Booster, this will help your garden to: 

• Provide essential nutrients and microbes 
• Act as a liquid fertiliser to unlock your soil’s potential 
• Drought proof your plants and lower water consumption
• Increase and speed up the germination process
• Assist in protecting your plants from pests and diseases 
• Provide an organic solution that’s safe to use with herbs, fruit and veggies

If you’re ready to take the leap into improving the health of your plants while minimising the use of chemical based fertilisers this Winter, then it may be time to try a plant probiotic. Our Ultimate Garden Health Pack includes our Biotic Booster Plant Food, FP-60 Probiotic Spray and RE-250 Soil Energiser plant probiotics. In each concentrated bottle, millions of natural bacterias are waiting to find a new home in your garden.

Here at Bioweed, we specialise in environmentally friendly gardening products, including herbicides, plant foods and probiotics, and natural alternatives to traditional gardening solutions. Should you have any questions about how to improve the sustainability of your garden or even further winter gardening tips and tricks, get in touch with us today.