Preparing for Winter
Another gardening season has come to a close, but there are still a few things left to do before it’s time to hang up your trugs and trowels until spring. While it may be tempting to just call it quits, getting around to some of these tasks now will make your gardening life easier in the spring – when your list of garden to-do’s will be even longer than it is at this time of year. So grab a sweatshirt, pull on your warm hat, and get on out there! Check out our checklist for what needs to be done now to help your garden weather the winter ahead.
Continue to “Leave the Leaves” – Fallen leaves can be an excellent addition to compost or mulch them in place with a mulching mower to provide nutrients over the winter. Not only will you benefit your soil, but you will also reduce carbon emissions involved with removal of leaves from your property! For more info, see: https://mgofmc.org/fall-leaves-love-em-and-leave-em/ (Photo credit: “leaves on ground” by Verius Photography is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Continue to plant bulbs, trees, shrubs, and hardy perennials until the ground is frozen. Don’t forget to water them if we do not have enough rain so that they are well hydrated before entering dormancy. To enjoy flowering bulbs inside in mid-winter, such as paperwhite narcissus, you can pot them up now. For more information on spring-flowering bulbs, see Rutgers FS1220: Spring Flowering Bulbs. (Photo Credit: “Tulip Bulbs” by Washington State Department of Agriculture is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
There is still time to get your soil tested before the ground freezes. Visit the Rutgers Soil Testing Laboratory’s website for more information. (Photo Credit: “Soil testing – 13th Nov” by Laura Whitehead is licensed under CC BY-NC 2.0)
Remember to leave plants with drying seed heads and hollow stalks standing in the garden for overwintering birds and insects such as our native bees. (Photo credit: “Seed-um” by InAweofGod’sCreation is licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0)
Continue mowing as long as the grass is growing. Don’t forget—it is against the law in New Jersey for homeowners to apply fertilizer containing nitrogen or phosphorus to their lawns between November 15 and March 1. For more information, visit NJ Fertilizer Law Restrictions on Home Lawn Applications (Photo Credit: “Autumn mowing + podcasts #theamericanlawn #mower #lawn #lawnmower #grass #midwesternlawn” by clarkmaxwell is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0)
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