Winter Garden Checklist

Despite the cold weather, there’s still plenty to do in the garden. Here is our Winter Garden Checklist to help you get started:

• Protect your plants from nibbling deer with Everguard’s non-toxic spray that is safe for people, pets, and the environment. It’s an effective blend of organic ingredients that deer find particularly offensive, and it’s resistant to rain and snow. We also recommend deer fencing around your prized plants. Got voles and other troubles? We also recommend PlantSkydd as a great non-toxic deterrent.
• Protect your evergreens: WiltPruf protects evergreens from frost and moisture loss. It’s great on all evergreens, including Rhododendron and Azalea, and can also be used on evergreen wreaths too. Apply twice — once in November and once in late January – when temps are above 40 degrees F.
• Prune your trees and shrubs. In winter, it is much easier to prune a plant without its leaves since you can easily see its branching structure. There is also less chance of transmitting diseases from one plant to another or attracting insects to fresh pruning wounds. Generally speaking, plants that bloom on new growth should be pruned while dormant, in the winter. This includes fruit trees, roses, viburnums, and climbing vines. Use sharp, high-quality tools, like Felco or ARS, and thick gloves to make winter pruning easier on your hands.
• Disinfect, sharpen, and oil your garden tools so they are ready for action in the spring. Replace any unsalvageable old tools.
• Pamper your houseplants: Repot any root bound houseplants, prune to size, remove dead leaves, and give them a shower to dust their leaves off. Like many of us, houseplants can be less peppy in winter, but still benefit from some tender-loving care. We recommend this trifecta of treatments (Superthrive, Neem Oil, and Neptune’s Harvest) for almost all of your plant’s winter care needs.
• Plan your gardens out: Select which crops and flowers you’ll grow, and grow seedlings indoors with seed-starting trays. We also recommend ProMixBS soil as a great soil for starting seeds.
• Feed the birds: Put out high-calorie bird seed like Meaties and Birds’ Choice Suets on a regular schedule. Clean and disinfect bird feeders every week to mitigate the spread of disease.
• Educate yourself: Read nature and gardening books to discover new things about plants and gardens, and get fun ideas for fun new things to try out in the growing season ahead.
• Start a compost pile with your old kitchen scraps, like potato peels, used coffee grinds, and any discarded plant material.
• Continue to weed. Pluck them out wherever and whenever you see them springing up.
• Healing in plants: Partially plant and/or use soil, mulch, or compost — including leaves mounded around rootball/containers — to moderate temperatures during winter months or until final planting site is chosen.

Want a printable copy of this list? Click here.