What should I be doing in my garden during the winter months (Nov. – Feb.)? What can I do to get ready for spring? (January 2016)
Well, what you do in your garden during the winter months really depends on how active you wish to be. For those living near coastal B.C., there are a number of gardening activities that can be pursued throughout the year.
Many edible plants such as vegetables can be planted in the summer for fall and winter harvesting (i.e. winter gardening). These include arugula, broad beans, calendula, chervil, corn salad, lettuces, mescluns, mustards, pac choi, scallions and turnips to name just a few. Other plants can be kept in the ground over winter (i.e. overwintered) for harvesting in the spring and summer. These include certain varieties of garlic, onion, cauliflower and broccoli. They need this extra time to fully develop and do not require protection during the winter. In early spring, they will start to grow quickly and you can harvest them as you are planting your spring crops. You can also plant bulbs like tulips in late fall, if you have not done so already.
Another activity that can be carried out, if you have not already done so, is cleaning up and preparing your garden for spring. In the late fall, there are likely to be fallen leaves and woody debris that can be removed. This is particularly important if you have a pond with fish as the leaf decay releases methane gas into the water which can be fatal to fish. You will also want to cut back herbaceous perennials and pull out annuals or other debris to prevent rot. Many communities pick up kitchen and garden waste or have composting centres. Some communities also have composted materials available for use by area residents – check out your local municipal website. You may also wish to raise your containers onto pot feet (or little blocks of wood) to prevent water-logging.
You can also take this opportunity to prune out diseased, dying or dead branches from shrubs and trees. When no leaves are present, it is easier to see where these areas are and the plants are dormant at this time. You may also wish to remove any odd looking branches or prune to enhance the shape of the shrub or tree.
Another great later fall and winter activity is to enhance your garden soil by applying mulch to your garden. Organic mulches can contain compost (commercial or homemade), composted sawdust, chopped or composted leaves. Two to three inches of mulch can be applied but be careful to avoid the crown (where the stem meets the roots) of perennial plants, just bringing the mulch up to the edge of the crown.
You may also wish to set out slug traps by filling an empty tuna fish or cat food can with beer (even the non-alcoholic variety will attract slugs) placing it in a shady spot with the rim of the can at ground level. Empty the can every few days and refill. Be sure you are not also catching creatures that are beneficial to your garden.
Winter is also a great time to walk through your own garden or local botanical gardens to view the variety of plants with winter interest. Interest in winter may come from flowers, berries, coloured stems or foliage. Hellebores and some varieties of clematis bloom over the winter months. Other plants like mahonia and hamamelis (Witch hazel) bloom over the winter months in bright oranges or yellows. Some varieties of cornus (dogwood) have spectacular winter bark or fruit. Many shrubs like nandina have a lovely display or berries over the winter months. By January, some of the early bulbs like galanthus are beginning to bloom. There is never a dull moment in the coastal garden!
Another way to be working on your garden during the winter months is to check out seed catalogues and lists and make some choice selections for spring planting. While seed catalogues are now available to leaf through (pardon the pun), many plant lists are also available via the internet with easy access to information on each plant with direct links. How easy does that make gardening? Happy winter gardening!
Sources:
Canadian Wildlife Federation: http://cwf-fcf.org/en/resources/gardening/gardening/putting-your-garden-to-bed_resource.html
Royal Horticultural Society: https://www.rhs.org.uk/advice/in-month
West Coast Seeds: https://www.westcoastseeds.com/
Canadian Gardening’s Water Garden by J. Davis, Penguin Studio, 1997.
