Summer Cooking How to Prepare Your Garden for Winter

Introduction

Autumn is in full swing, and it’s time to get all your summer crops out of the ground. As you harvest the fruits and vegetables from your garden, you should take some time to prepare your garden for the long winter ahead. After all, now that the days are getting shorter, there’s not much more growing left to do! But if you make sure everything is properly put away for those cold months, you’ll be rewarded with a much healthier garden come springtime. Here are some tips for putting your garden to bed for the winter:

Trim back herbaceous perennials.

It’s a good idea to trim back perennial herbs in the fall, before frost, in order to encourage new growth, keep them in shape and healthy, and keep them looking good. Pinch off any dead foliage or stems that have gone dormant but are still attached to the plant.

Divide spring-flowering bulbs.

Divide spring-flowering bulbs.
Plant them in containers for winter display or to give away as gifts.
Store the bulbs in a cool, dry place to keep them dormant until it’s time to plant them again (usually late fall through early spring).
In the spring, plant your divided bulbs in well-drained soil a minimum of 6 inches apart and about 2 inches below ground level for most types of tulips, daffodils and hyacinths; 8 inches apart for crocus corms; 12 inches apart for narcissus corms; 6 inches deep (or more) if you want to grow your own dahlias from seedlings next year — or if you’re planting this year’s purchases outdoors after they bloom indoors!

Harvest any remaining fruits and vegetables.

Now that you have taken care of your plants and prepared them for winter, it’s time to harvest any remaining fruits and vegetables.

Harvesting: Once again, it’s important to remember that harvesting at the proper time will ensure that you get the maximum yield from your garden. Tomatoes can be picked when they are still green and unripe, but they should be kept indoors until they ripen fully on a sunny windowsill (or in an indoor greenhouse). The same goes for cucumbers—they should be picked before they turn yellowish in color. Herbs should also be collected before they go to seed; if left too long in pots or hanging baskets, their flavor will become very strong.

Cut back your herb garden.

Cut back your herbs.

This is the time to cut back or prune your herb garden. When it comes to herbs, there are two types: tender and hardy. Tender herbs such as basil, chives, cilantro and parsley should be trimmed after they bloom but before they set seed. Hardier herbs such as rosemary and thyme can be pruned anytime during the growing season as long as it’s not too late in the year (after Labor Day). Some people like to harvest their herbs at certain times of the year because of food safety concerns or simply because they prefer a certain flavor profile better than others—for example, basil harvested in July has stronger flavors than basil harvested in October. It all depends on what you prefer!

Once you’ve cut down your plants with a pair of scissors or pruners (depending on how much work needs doing), store them in sealable plastic bags or jars filled with water until springtime when they will sprout again with new growth coming out from underneath dead leaves that were previously attached above ground level but now lie dormant underground until warm weather returns again next year around Mother’s Day weekend every May depending on where you live so make sure yours does too!

Plant garlic.

Plant garlic in the fall, which is when you’ll get a good yield. Garlic grows best in full sun and well-drained soil that’s rich in organic matter. If your soil has no drainage problems, then you’re all set! Just dig your holes and plant them as usual.

If you have poor drainage or clay soil, add some compost before planting so that its nutrients will break down into the ground over time—this will make it easier for roots to reach water and nutrients deep within the ground instead of having to search near the surface where they’re vulnerable to drought or frost damage (you can also add sand). Be sure to tuck those cloves under about 6 inches of soil so they don’t get exposed during winter months–do this by making sure there’s some empty space around each clove once planted; if possible try adding mulch after planting so that any exposed bulbs don’t freeze or dry out too much during cold weathers (and remember: even though garlic does grow year round outdoors here in Alaska there’s still plenty of moisture lost due especially during these colder seasons).

Plant cover crops or green manures.

Plant cover crops or green manures. Cover crops are plants that are grown to protect the soil and improve it, often by adding nutrients and reducing erosion. They can be planted in the spring or fall, but they are best started after all of your vegetables have been harvested in order to prevent them from interfering with your garden’s later growth. These fast-growing plants will help keep weeds at bay while providing organic matter for your soil as they decompose.

Check your compost heap.

If you’ve been composting, your heap is likely to be more than a little active. If it’s not, give it a kick and see if that helps. As long as the material in your compost heap is turning and breaking down into humus (or “black gold”) rather than just rotting, you’re doing something right!

If you haven’t started composting yet, what are you waiting for? Composting is easy and fun—and there are lots of ways to do it:

Use an outdoor bin made from wood or plastic with air holes drilled into the sides (you can buy one online or at a hardware store). Line the bottom with newspaper before adding kitchen scraps.
Start out with a small pile near your house where it won’t attract animals who might dig through it looking for food (no critters in my garden!). Cover the pile loosely with some leaves or straw as insulation so that air can circulate freely within it.
Bury organic materials like vegetable peelings, coffee grounds and eggshells about 6 inches deep in soil where they will decompose naturally without producing foul-smelling odors like those that come from putting them straight into plastic bags destined for landfills where they’ll sit indefinitely without breaking down at all!

Mulch over any crops you are overwintering outside.

Mulching is a great way to keep your garden looking good and healthy through the winter, and it’s also easy to do. Just spread some mulch on top of the plants you want to protect from freezing temperatures.

Mulch covers the soil and helps keep it warm, which keeps your plants from freezing as easily. It also keeps moisture in the soil so your plants don’t dry out during this time of year when days are short and there isn’t much water in the ground from rain or snow melt yet. Mulch also makes it harder for weeds to grow because they need sunlight for photosynthesis; mulch blocks out most light rays, so weeds cannot grow as well under there!

Prepare the soil for next year’s vegetable garden.

Mulch over any crops you are overwintering outside.
Go over your compost heap and make sure it’s ready to go in the spring. If not, add some more carbon material to help it break down faster.
Plant garlic, potatoes, or Jerusalem artichokes in the fall if you live in a mild climate (check the seed packet for specifics).
Plant cover crops or green manures that will improve your soil quality without taking up space during winter; choose legumes such as hairy vetch or clover if you’re planning on planting vegetables in Spring; grasses such as rye work well if you’ll be planting grains next season; brassicas like kale also do well planted at this time of year but should be harvested before they go to seed so they don’t take away from early spring greens!

Preparing your garden for the winter involves pruning, harvesting and composting

There are three main things you can do to prepare your garden for winter, pruning, harvesting and composting. Pruning is an important part of ensuring that your plants will be healthy in the winter. You should only cut back any dead wood or branches that are not going to regenerate and are making it difficult for other parts of the plant to grow. When pruning trees or shrubs, take care not to damage any buds or new growths as they will be needed next season.

Harvesting crops helps ensure that there will be food available when you need it during the colder months. It also prevents overgrowth by removing plants at their peak maturity level so as not to waste nutrients on plants which may not bear fruit until next year’s growing season begins again in springtime.”

Conclusion

It’s the time of year when many gardeners are winding down their gardening activity, but there are still lots of things you can do to prepare your garden for winter. We hope that this article has been helpful in giving you a few tips for preparing your garden for the cold months ahead. As always, we’re happy to hear from our readers with any questions or comments they have about gardening (or anything else!). Happy gardening!