It’s recognised that garden growth significantly lessens during the winter months. As leaves begin to fall and flowers wilt, managing your garden is an easier task. However, there are still things you can do to keep your garden looking beautiful. Whether you choose to tidy your dormant flowers or trim your hedges in preparation for the summer months – there is always something to do.
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Getting ahead on your garden maintenance is a sensible idea during the winter months. Adverse winter weather can often make small issues seem bigger. So, if you have fences to repair, shelters to rebuild, or paving to fix – now is the time to get them sorted.
Here are our top gardening tips to help you get ahead this winter.
Look after local wildlife
As the colder days draw in, local wildlife can begin to struggle. Particularly on frosty and snowy days, birds, animals, and insects struggle to access food and water. Be mindful of this and create a healthy garden ecosystem for your local animals.
Make or buy a birdfeeder to hang amongst your trees and bushes. Fill them with seeds, fruits or bread to give them an extra treat.
With ponds iced over, animals and birds struggle to access freshwater. So, placing tap water in a bowl and leaving it outside will give them a place to drink and clean themselves if necessary.
Planting and pruning trees
Before planting any bare-rooted trees, you must check that the soil is not frozen. Bare rooted trees can get planted between November and March.
It is also a good idea to start pruning your trees ahead of the winter months. Pick off the fruit, remove any dead branches and open the crown to encourage quicker harvest.
It is important to prune your shrubs lightly as overdoing it can stunt their growth. Specialist tools like an electric cordless hedge trimmer can help you prune your hedges accurately without causing damage.
Get weeding
Weeding your garden before the winter helps to remove any unwanted seeds that are ready to spout. Sprouting will typically begin in springtime. So, getting rid of common garden weeds now will help relieve you of work at the start of the new year.
Water your plants
If you have newly planted shrubs, you need to watch them through the winter months. Their root systems won’t have had enough time to establish themselves in the soil so, you must continue to water them. If you’re expecting extremely bad weather, give your plants deep water as this helps the soil retain its moisture.