Winter is coming on strong this year, and we can all feel it but that does not mean you should give up on your garden. Generally, most of South Africa is fortunate to have at least 300 days of sun with some clear and sunny days during the coldest season of the year.
Winter comes with a relatively inevitable slowing of activity in the garden. Depending on your location, perennials may be blushing with color and starting to drop their leaves, some annual vegetables are nearing the end of their lifespan, it’s tempting to shut all gardening activities and let nature take its course, especially with the cold outside. After all, you’ve done the heavy spring lifting and reaped summer’s benefits. but if you wish to keep exercising your green fingers and keep your garden general look appealing during the cooler months, here are few tips to prepare for winter:
Before going deep in the topic, let remind you of some important fact to consider when preparing for winter.
Although South Africa has relatively temperate winters, climate conditions do vary between regions. For example, while winters are quite pleasant along the northeast coast in KwaZulu-Natal, they can be especially intense inland in areas such as the Drakensberg and Great Karoo.
As in summer, winter gardens need three basic things to survive and thrive – plenty of sun, good soil, and water as needed. Ideally, plants should receive six hours of sun per day. Winter gardens don’t need as much water as their summer counterparts. according to https://www.houseofyork.co.za/
Now let get into it:
1. Clean up rotting and finished plants:
Besides looking untidy, old plants can harbor disease, pests, and funguses. Unwanted insects feeding on your crops throughout the summer may lay eggs on the plant’s stalks and leaves. Removing spent plants from the soil surface or burying them in garden trenches (if they are disease-free) prevents pests from getting a head start. Burying old plants in your garden also adds organic matter to your soil, improving soil tilth and overall health.
2. Remove invasive weeds that may have taken hold over the growing season:
Winter is the time to deal with the most invasive weeds. Dig them up and place them in the trash or burn them. Most invasive weeds remain viable in a compost heap or weed pile, so resist the urge to simply shift them to another part of your garden. Removing invasive plants completely is the only way to prevent those plants from sprouting all over again and disrupting next year’s crop. While it may be tempting to reach for a chemical solution, we recommend using eco-friendlier remedies.
3. Prepare your soil and general cleaning of the garden:
Despite the fact that most people reserve this activity for the spring, Winter is a great time to dig in soil amendments like manure, compost, bone meal, kelp, and rock phosphate. In most climates, adding nutrients at this time of year means the additions have time to start breaking down, enriching your soil, and becoming biologically active. It also means you won’t have to wait until your garden dries out in the spring to work the soil for the first time.
The Winter months are also a good time to do some general maintenance work around the garden. Rake up any remaining autumn leaves, spring clean your garden shed or greenhouse, give the outdoor garden furniture a good wipe down and clean all your gardening tools and equipment.
4. Prune perennials:
Winter is a good time to trim some perennial garden plants, though take care to ensure you choose the right ones. Remove spent or crossing canes to help control the plant’s vigorous spread.
5. Replenish mulch:
Mulching in winter has many of the same benefits as summer mulching. These include reducing water loss, protecting the soil from erosion, and inhibiting weeds. But winter mulching has other benefits as well: as the soil transitions to colder weather, the freezing and thawing of the earth can adversely affect garden plants, whose roots suffer from all that churning and heaving. Adding a thick layer of mulch to the soil surface helps regulate soil temperatures and moisture and ease the transition into winter. A thick layer of mulch around root vegetables left in the garden for your fall and winter harvest can also buffer against hard frosts and prolong your crop. And as the mulch breaks down it incorporates fresh organic material into your soil.
6. Planting:
Winter flowering plants should be planted in April or May to bloom in time for winter.
Given the right amount of nutrients, there are plenty of crops that do best in the cooler months. Consider setting aside a part of your garden for growing delicious fruits and veggies in your garden.
For more information about winter crops: https://www.houseofyork.co.za/south-african-winter-gardening.
7. Water:
As mentioned above, winter gardens don’t need as much water as they do in summer. Lawns can be watered once every two to three weeks. Most low water-use plants should only be watered once every two months, while moderate water-use plants need only be watered once a month. High water-use plants will need to be watered 2-3 times every fortnight.
Remember that garden in winter can still look pretty and provides you with delicious healthy organically grown food so take advantage of the season and do not let the cold make you rest your green fingers and miss out.
Should you need professional assistance on how to maintain and set up a garden during winter, do not hesitate to contact us by simply call/WhatsApp Desy at 074 019 5207 or email us at urbanorganicg@gmail.com
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