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Week 4:
Preparing the garden for winter

Winter can be a hard time for plants, especially
in cold areas. And, even in the warmer parts of
the country, plants often find the winter months
hard going. Growth slows right down and
problems become more evident when a plant's
in its cold-weakened state.

But there are many things you can do to help
your garden cope with the cooler months.
Here's a timely checklist for preparing your
garden for winter:

? Move potted tropical plants and other
warmth lovers into more protected
spots – perhaps onto a verandah or
porch.
? Reduce watering of potted plants. They
require much less water when the
weather's cooler. Take the chill off tap
water by mixing in a small amount of
hot water. It shouldn't feel warm – just
slightly tepid to the touch. This means it
won't shock the roots so much.
? Prepare planting holes for new roses
and fruit trees by digging compost and
well-aged manure into the soil.
? If the soil has any drainage problems,
winter is the season when they'll
expose themselves. Use a garden fork
to push vertical holes into heavy soils.
Create surface drains to carry away
excess moisture. Dig lime into heavy
soils (keeping well clear of acid lovers
like azaleas and camellias. The lime
will sweeten the soil and encourages
the activity of organic matter. The
resulting humus binds particles
together, allowing air to get into the
spaces between the particles and
helping excess water to drain away.
? Deep layers of mulch on the soil can
ensure that it remains cold and damp
for three months or more. Hence, it can
be a good idea to remove some of the
thickness of mulch so that the sun can
penetrate to warm up the soil.
? Construct frames around the plants that
are likely to be damaged by the cold or
frosts. If supports are already in place
it only takes an instant to throw a piece
of cloth or plastic over them in the
evening. Don't forget to remove the
covering in the morning, though, or the
plants might cook in the midday sun.
? Fortunately, in our climate, winter
doesn't have to be bereft of colour.
You can choose plenty of suitable
varieties for planting now. Polyanthus
(pictured) for example, are some of the
prettiest winter-flowering plants. They
bloom in a wide range of colours –
blues, pinks, yellows, cream and white
– often with a contrasting central eye.
They'll grow in light shade or full sun
and, if the following summer doesn't get
too hot, they'll produce an encore
performance next year.
? Winter is the wettest season in many
climates, so don't let that precious
water go to waste. Install a tank now
so that you can store water for the
future.
? Feed plants with high-potash Thrive
Flower & Fruit to build up their strength
before winter.