With the icy cold weather, many gardeners think there are no more tasks and relax. But, as an enthusiastic gardener, I know there are always tasks all year round. In winter, you must prepare the garden for the upcoming season.
The mid to end of the winter is the crucial timeline to ensure that your garden flourishes with beauty when the warmer days return. If you are unsure how to prepare your garden for spring planting, I am here to help you with my decades-long experience.
Here, I intend to help you understand your spring garden’s soil preparation, strategic planting, maintenance, etc., during the cold seasons.
Why Prepare Winter Garden for the Upcoming Spring
The following points will assist you in understanding the need for winter garden preparation.
- The winter garden preparation increases soil fertility while incorporating improved soil structure and drainage. It has proven beneficial for creating a better-growing environment during the spring season.
- It is true that during snowy times, we do not put effort into caring for the plants. But when spring is on the way, we must address the pest- and disease-related issues of the plants to restrict the further spread of the infections.
- Weed control in the winter season is also crucial as it allows us to reduce weed growth during spring.
- During winter, you can select the best-suited plant for your garden while making an effective action plan.
- The winter enables spare time, which you can use to fix the fence, garden gate, etc. These actions will benefit you in spring gardening.
Evaluation of Current Winter Garden Condition
Before even thinking about preparing your garden for the following spring season, you must evaluate the existing condition of your garden. In this evaluation process, I consider the following criteria.
- Plant health: It involves running around the garden to identify pest infections, diseases, or any sort of nutrient deficiencies.
- Soil quality: I randomly collect soil samples from various parts of the garden to test the quality in terms of texture, moisture level, etc.
- Micro-climatic factors: In this evaluation measure, I find areas that receive maximum sunlight, shading, moisture level, and so on. This data helps you make informed decisions.
- Checking infrastructure: Lastly, the checking of the fences, raised beds, irrigation system functionality, etc., are evaluated.
Identified Issues Vs. Improvement Plan
The following table discusses the most common issues of the winter garden and the approaches to addressing them.
| Issue | Improvement |
| Degraded soil quality | Add organic matter |
| Pest issue | Companion planting |
| Sustainability issue | Apply water conservation techniques, organic gardening methods, and wildlife habitat creation |
How to Prepare Winter Garden for the Next Growing Spring Planting
Now, it is time to proceed with a full-fledged winter garden preparation. I suggest you use the synchronized methods to treat the garden.
Soil Test and Preparation
It is the very first task in winter garden preparation. In the soil testing segment, you find the lackings. And in the preparation phase, you implement the resolution approaches.
Soil Testing
In this process, you collect soil from different parts of the garden. You take the samples to the nearby soil-testing facility to know their nutrient condition and pH level. Generally, the ideal soil condition hosts nutrients like potassium, sulfur, calcium, magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
On the other hand, the pH level should range between 5.5 to 7.5. If the result shows a lack in the nutrient or pH level, you must go for soil treatment.
Soil Preparation
You can use organic or synthetic fertilizer to fix the soil nutrient-related issue. I recommend you use organic amendments like bones, compost, manure, etc. On the other hand, to fix the pH level, you can use lime to increase the pH and sulfur components to decrease the pH.
If you need specialized beds, prepare those in this step. I must remind you that fixing soil nutrients and pH needs to be consistent throughout the garden.
New Garden Setup Planning
As the garden soil is prepared, you can plan for new beds, particular plant areas, etc. I suggest you plan the whole setting considering the allocated space. Here, you also determine which type of plants you want to grow.
Remember, you have to align the prepared soil type with the desired plants. Also, you need to measure the space allocation appropriately to determine the number of plants of each type. Finally, place an order to the plant supplier.
Restoration of Preserved Perennials
I am sure you also keep delicate perennials in the containers like me. Sometimes, the container-based solution could be more effective in making them survive the winter. In some cases, you have to construct a special facility to protect them from damage. After winter, you plant those perennials into the garden’s soil.
Start Sowing Seeds Indoor
At the end of the winter season, you can go for growing seedlings of winter-tolerant plants. Just use the space in your garage or any spare space to sow seeds of onion, garlic, tomatoes, lettuce, cabbage, etc.
Once the outside environment becomes favorable, you can plant those seedlings in the designated beds in your garden.
Make Ready the Tools
As the spring approaches, you must prepare the gardening tools as well. Find all of those tools and gather them in a place. Check each one’s condition. If you find anyone is unusable, replace that with a new one. For the other usable tools, clean, oil, and polish.
Get Rid of Unwanted Elements
Now, it is time to clean the surface of the garden. Use designated tools to remove dirt and debris. It is also essential to pick up and dispose of dead leaves and unwanted roots. Cut off the diseased or dead bushes and shrubs to get a healthy surface area from your spring gardening.
Start Composting
I believe in organic compost rather than factory-made ones. This belief directs me to prepare compost using food leftovers, worm compost elements, cow dung, etc. If you are also interested in this, allocate bigger drums and mix these elements.
You must keep those in an air-tight environment as the compost circulates terrible odor. It is a cost-effective solution as the factory-made composts are expensive. Finally, you use the homemade compost in the garden’s soil as the final treatment process.
Use of Mulch
Before planting in the spring, I apply mulch to the soil. I prepare the mulch from grass clippings and yard wastes. As per my experience, this mulch category is highly effective for moisture retention, erosion prevention, pest deterrence, etc.
However, you can also use conventional fertilizers. But, from a personal point of view, factory-made fertilizers are responsible for degrading the soil’s fertility in the long run.
Final Words
I hope that the elaboration on how to prep your winter garden for the next growing spring planting will help you enormously. By implementing the tips, you can make your garden flourish from the start of the spring.
Finally, if you are unfamiliar with the mentioned tasks, hiring a professional is better.
