Albuquerque Landscaping Garden Winterization Steps Every Homeowner Should Follow

A gardener’s labor is never finished, and during the fall, it is time to prepare your growing space for the colder months ahead. Now I know what some of you are thinking, whether it is necessary. The simple answer is that it is! You have already invested much time, effort, and money into your garden; therefore, you must safeguard your financial investment.

You won’t need more than a few simple implements and supplies to finish all these activities in only a few hours. This is the approach I can get behind as someone who enjoys gardening but also has a busy schedule due to working outside the home.

First, remove all the weeds from the area

The task is unpleasant, but it must be completed together with the removal of unhealthy or invasive plants, dead leaves, and other plant components and sections of plants. You must remove from your garden at this time everything that you would not want to see there during the growing season. Now is the moment to get rid of a plant if you think it might be contaminated because insects plagued it, it didn’t develop very well, or it had an unusual color. You don’t want those plants to keep invading your garden, nor do you want them to continue spreading their malice around the neighborhood.

Cover and defend your newly planted garden beds

Have you expanded your flower garden throughout this year’s growing season? It is common knowledge that the first season of a plant’s life, particularly that of a perennial, is crucial to its establishment. It won’t hurt the plants to have a little extra protection over the winter while they are still becoming established, so go ahead and give them that. You might want to try using a garden cloche and draping it over the entirety of your garden. You can acquire a good cloche like this one, but before you buy it, check the dimensions and pick the right one for your region.

Remember that this is something you will perform most of the time for new perennial beds and not for vegetable gardens or flower beds that are already established. Gardens dedicated to vegetables typically do not require any winter protection. On the other hand, installing a cold frame will allow you to continue growing plants like lettuce and radishes during the winter months.

In the third step, plant your bulbs

Even if this does not fit under the category of “cleanup,” it is nevertheless an essential task that needs to be completed before the ground freezes. In addition, there is a good reason it is on the winter list. Gardeners frequently encounter challenges when trying to plant bulbs. They never seem to get the hole deep enough, possibly because the ground is too complicated or because they have clay soil. In most situations, you need it to be several inches deep to have adequate winter protection and be prepared to bloom in the spring.

After giving your plants one final drink, turn off the water and move on to the next step.

It’s no secret that water is a plant’s best friend, so having plenty of it available when trying to grow new plants is critical. Before you turn off your water supply for the winter—no one wants burst pipes outside—you’ll want to ensure that your garden has had a long drink. This is especially true for young trees, shrubs, and perennial plants that have just been planted. You do not need to worry about keeping the watering up through the time when the frost is present, but if you remember to give your plants one last watering of the season, you can provide them with a little bit of additional assistance. Regarding scheduling, you should aim to get this done about a week or two before the ground in your region freezes.

Be careful to drain and store your hoses, rain buckets, and other gardening items before turning off your water supply so that they do not break due to the cold weather. (While you wait for winter, would you like to bring some greenery inside? Try one of these seven succulents that are the easiest to care for.)

The fifth step is to provide your trees, shrubs, and rose bushes with a winter coat.

A coat of armor for vegetation? Absolutely! When attempting to establish trees, shrubs, and rose bushes in your backyard or garden, they frequently require additional shelter from the severe winter winds. Gardeners frequently utilise two goods, and they are as follows: fleece coats that are placed over the plant, and cones, which can be purchased on Amazon for $35 for a set of three. If you wish to make your own, some options for materials you can use are waste bags, burlap, landscape fabric, or giant cardboard boxes. You only need to make sure that you fasten them firmly so that even on the windiest and coldest days, they don’t come loose.

Dig up your fragile plants

If you have fragile bulbs and tubers like these, such as cannas, dahlias, or elephant ears, you must dig them out before winter arrives. You should put them in an area that is dark and cool, like the basement, but before doing so, you should do some research to find the ideal storage tip for each plant. After that, you can replant them for another season when spring arrives. If you don’t do this, the plant could die entirely if you don’t take care of it. Because many of these can be expensive, you don’t want to take any chances with them during the winter.

Add some extra mulch

Mulch may seem like a duty that should be done in the spring, but there is an excellent reason to add it to the list of fall chores as well. As a gardener, one of the most intelligent decisions you can make is to ensure that your garden has access to high-quality mulch. It enriches the soil with organic matter, inhibits the growth of weeds in a natural way, and further insulates and protects the plants.