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Winter Gardening Activities
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So what do real gardeners do in the winter. When snow makes digging in the dark, rich earth next to impossible without a jackhammer, and snow is past the knees, even the most devoted gardener has to say 'uncle' and give it up. Or do they?
There are some things that can be done during winter, so that when spring comes, you've got more time for your garden.
Fun Things First
- order from seed suppliers and plant catalog. Some links to catalogs and other suppliers can be found on our gardening links page.- start seeds in late winter
- feed the birds
- take pictures of plants in winter to add to your garden journal or gardening software
- buy a digital camera and learn how to use it
- sort all the digital pictures you took in the nice weather, and add them to your gardening software
- if you don't have a garden journal, check out our instructions for a home-made journal.
- water your evergreens up until the ground freezes, to reduce stress
- if you use a cold frame and the weather warms up suddenly, ventilate it, but remember to close again at night.
- pretend you really enjoy indoor plants
- study your garden journal to see what gave you trouble, and research it
- check your 'wish list' and find sources for those plants
- create a terrarium
- root cuttings off existing plants and exchange them with your friends
- create a 'plant cutting exchange' group
- research new sources and sign up for more catalogues
- organize your plant pictures, whether digital or print, and add to your garden journal
Things you can call "Gardening" (but it's a stretch) vs "Work"
- wrap tender shrubs and trees before the nastiest weather takes hold- as snow comes and goes, monitor the ground of your garden beds to make sure plants have not heaved right out of the soil. if they have, cover with mulch, leaves, or more soil.
- before it gets really, REALLY cold, spray anti-transpirant on broadleaf or new evergreen plants to prevent them drying out in the winter winds.
- remove broken branches as they happen, to prevent them ripping further down the trunk of the tree
- apply dormant oil before dormancy breaks in spring
- remove snow loads from evergreens so the limbs don't break
Yucky Maintenance
- clean up tools and store them so they won't rust over winter- get mowers, trimmers and other equipment repaired
- try to keep alive the outdoor plants that you brought inside to try to save them, but it's not working
- keep cutting back the long, leggy plants that don't get quite enough sun
Things to Remember for Houseplants
- don't over water- remember that your watering pattern in the summer is not the same as your watering pattern for the winter.
- let those plants that need a rest, have one
- keep plants that like humidity away from heat registers and vents
Helen Kirkup is a Master Gardener and writer.
Email your comments to hmkstaff@hmk.on.ca
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