Winter Gardening; Timing is Very Important!
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Winter gardening preparation means planning what plants and when to grow them so that you can have both color and beauty and some fresh vegetables all year round.
Gardening Zone Winter gardening needs zoning. That means planning your vegetables, shrubs, trees, etc., with consideration to the highest and lowest winter temperatures the plants can endure. Your local extension office can give you invaluable assistance on what garden plants can tolerate the winter conditions where you live. They can give you specific dates of what and when to plant your winter garden. Mulch Your Soil Mulching allows you to enjoy your winter vegetables even when the ground is frozen. It also prevents winter weeds as it acts as the soil’s shield from light. To be effective, mulching has to be done prior to the ground being frozen. If you have access to salt marsh hay, it is the best mulch you can use for your winter garden. Unlike straw, you have no problem with weeds. Unlike leaves, you do not have the compaction that winter rain causes. If you have to use leaves, put a layer of plastic on it. In early spring, you should remove the mulch to warm up the soil and prevent the depletion of nitrogen. Green Manure Also called cover crop, green manure is an excellent organic material you can add to the soil. Examples of green manure are rye and clover. You either transplant or sow green manure into the prepared soil, or between rows of crops that are about to head. You can also lightly sow green manure under the maturing crops. Wait for the green manure to be decomposed before cultivating your next crop. Corn Gluten Meal, a Safe Weed and Feed If you apply corn gluten meal before weeds germinate, your timing is just right. Corn gluten meal is a pre-emergent, controls well the weed seeds from germinating, and feeds your soil. For winter weeds, apply it in the early fall; for spring weeds, apply it at winter’s end. You can effectively use corn gluten meal for vegetable and flower gardens, ornamental plants and trees, herbaceous plants, etc. Remember that corn gluten meal is not a post emergent. That means corn gluten meal does not kill existing weeds. More on Winter Gardening!
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