Fayetteville Winter Gardening Tips
After putting in a lot of time and effort into your yard during the spring, summer, and fall months, it is easy to develop “Gardener Depression” during the winter months. What’s a gardener to do in these barren, lifeless days of winter? Believe it or not, there is plenty to do during the cold months ahead. Here are some Fayetteville winter gardening tips to outlast and conquer these winter months.
6 Things You Must do in Your Garden
- Cut back all perennials:
Be sure to do this before it gets too cold to be outside. By now, all of your perennials are wilted over and have turned yellow or even brown. Cut these perennials back to the ground.
- Add a covering of mulch:
Putting down a bed of mulch or pine straw is not only for aesthetics, but serves a fundamental purpose. Mulch will give the root ball of your plants and shrubs the insulation needed to survive the cold months ahead. You should also mulch over the perennials that you just cut back. You don’t want to leave them susceptible the below freezing temperatures.
- Tend to the fruit trees:
Don’t forget about these guys! Clean up around the root ball and trunks of all fruit trees. Remove all debris like old foliage and twigs, as this can breed fungus and insects! After removing all debris, dress the root ball with mulch or pine straw.
- Test your soil:
Get a jump on your gardening by getting your soil tested early. If you have been experiencing difficult growing conditions, it may be due to your soil pH. Contact your local agriculture extension for soil test kits and costs.
- Prepare your garden beds:
Once you know what your soil pH is and what your soil may be lacking, begin amending the soil. If you aren’t fighting snow on the ground, till your soil and work in products that will add necessary nutrients to the soil.
- Start visualizing your spring garden:
Since you have a little downtime (when it comes to tending to your garden or yard), begin visualizing, organizing, and planning what you want to accomplish in your garden for the upcoming year. Research what plants and trees will work best for you yard and get creative with your design!