Our first frost fell upon the farm this week. When I greeted The Bloomerie before the warm rays of the sun, it was covered in sparkling frozen crystals, illuminating the beginning of a new season - one marked more by rejuvenating rest than vigorous growth.
I have to be honest, I am relieved the cooler temperatures are beginning to lull the landscape into a slumber so that I can rest as well, but that hasn't always been the case
When I first moved to Tennessee a couple of years ago, I had no idea how to get my garden ready for the colder months. Do I rip everything out? Sow cover crops? Cover all my beds with leaves? Do nothing and just hope for the best?
Well, I am happy to say that after making it through last year, I feel more prepared to get the Bloomerie ready for success in winter. So today, I thought I would share what I am doing in the garden now to prepare not only for the dreary days ahead but also for the sunny ones on the other side!
REMOVE ALL HEAT-LOVING PLANTS
First things first, we have to get rid of what is no longer serving us—our summer crops. Go ahead and harvest any ripening fruit, and then get those plants out of there!
Though it may be tempting to rip them out of the ground, I recommend cutting them at the base and leaving the roots in the ground to feed your soil microbes and retain structure. Before discarding them, check to see if they have set seed. If they have, go ahead and save them to replant in your garden next year!
However, if you have dahlias in the ground, go ahead and remove the tubers or mulch them very very deeply. Dahlia tubers need to be lifted or protected, as they won't survive a hard freeze.
If your plants developed diseases throughout the growing season, burn them or throw them in the garbage rather than composting, as you don’t want those same issues returning next season!
TO PRUNE OR NOT TO PRUNE?
One of the things that gives me the most pause is pruning. I often feel like I never know what to cut, and fear that one wrong move will result in a dead plant and a very sad Leila. I always say, "When in doubt, don't cut it out."
While certain perennials like peonies and daylilies benefit from a clean cut, for the most part, leaving the dead foliage of other perennials for the winter won't hurt. It will also provide a habitat for birds and insects.
On the other hand, avoid pruning shrubs or trees at this time, as it could signal them to send out new growth that will be damaged by cold temperatures. Examples include azaleas and lilacs, which benefit from pruning at other times of the year.
SOW COVER CROPS OR MULCH DEEPLY
Once you have removed your plants, you have a couple of options. First off, and my personal favorite, you can plant a cover crop. Since we are so close to our first frost, opt for a cold-tolerant choice, like winter rye or winter wheat. Spread seeds over the entirety of your bed and water well, or wait for a rainy day. Come springtime, we will reincorporate it into the soil as "green manure."
If you would rather not use cover crops, you can mulch your beds with straw or, even better, leaves. While you can also apply compost at this time, I would hold off until early spring, as applying it now could result in much of the goodness leeching out with the winter rains.
PLANT HARDY VEGETABLES, FLOWERS, WILDFLOWERS, BULBS, & MORE
Depending on your climate, you can still grow some nice cold hardy veggies during the winter - such as leafy greens, brassicas, and certain root vegetables like carrots. If you do decide to grow these guys, keep in mind the lessening daylight hours that winter brings will mean that they will mature slower and probably won't get as big and beautiful as they would growing in the spring or summer.
This is also an opportune time to sow for spring! Depending on your climate, you can go ahead and plant wildflower seeds, hardy annual flowers, bulbs like tulips and daffodils, garlic, and strawberries for a spring harvest.
While you can wait until early spring to plant certain wildflowers, hardy annuals, and strawberries, planting them now will give them a great head start. If you want stunning tulips and daffodils to dot your landscape come spring, you need to plant them now, as they require vernalization—a period of frost to flower.
PROTECT YOUR HOSES!
Now for the least fun part, in my personal opinion—winterizing irrigation. This will vary depending on your system, but no matter what, ensure that pipes do not have water in them and hoses are moved inside. If not, you may end up with a geyser come your first spring watering, and no one wants that. (Trust me.)
BEGIN PLANNING FOR SPRING
After everything has been tucked in, you can use your garden time to plan for next season. Take notes on what worked well and what didn’t this season. Dream about what you want to grow. Let your imagination run wild and allow it to carry you through the cold days ahead.
When I first learned of all these things I needed to do, I immediately felt overwhelmed, but after going through it all last year, I found it more calming than crazy. As you prepare your garden for winter, allow it to feel like a ritual, slowing your pace to that of the season,
If you don't get around to all of these steps, remember, gardens are resilient. Even if you don't get that cover crop in or you can't get around to mulching, you will still be able to be successful next year.
What are you doing in your garden right now? I would love to hear about it in the comments!
No matter what you are doing, I hope you keep growing.
Love,
Leila
Jut pruned peonies today and am waiting for a hard frost to prune and dig my dahlia tubers. A few nights have hovered around freezing but my dahlias have survived and have slowed down their production but are still sending up some beauties. I am always sad to see them go and bracing myself for the job of digging and dividing!! I love seeing how beautifully your gardens have progressed!! They are so beautiful!! Thank you for this post! I am always overwhelmed with everything that needs to get done this time of year and this calmed me down!