The growing season is over, and now it’s time to prepare for winter. Here are our top tips for winterizing raised garden beds.
Winterizing raised garden beds is essential to protect your garden and soil from the cold. Proper winterization helps prevent soil erosion, preserve soil structure, and protect plants from harsh winter conditions. Here’s what you need to know about winterizing raised garden beds.
Call Epling Landscaping and Lawn Service, Inc. at 540-554-8228 or reach out here to get started.
Winterizing raised garden beds
Once you’ve harvested the last of your vegetables, it’s time to winterize.
Clean and prune
The first order of business is to clean your garden bed. Remove all dead or spent plants, weeds, or debris from your raised beds. Ridding the soil of plants and debris prevents disease and pests from overwintering in your garden.
Apply organic matter
Next, apply a layer of compost or aged manure to your garden beds. Organic matter replenishes nutrients in the soil and improves solid structure while your garden rests over the winter.
Insulate with mulch
Apply a layer of mulch over your organic matter to insulate your soil. A 2 to 4-inch layer of mulch helps to regulate soil temperature, reduce weed growth, and retain moisture. You may choose to mulch with straw, leaves, wood chips, or shredded newspaper. Any of these options work well.
Protect perennials from frost
Cover any perennials to protect them from frost. You can do so with a frost cloth, burlap, or even by covering your entire raised bed with plastic sheeting. If you plan to continue growing hardy crops during the winter, you’ll want to cover those as well with cold frames or row covers.
In areas with frequent freeze and thaw, it’s common for soil to seize and push plants out of the ground. Proper mulching helps, but it’s a good idea to tamp down the soil when you notice this happening to keep your plants rooted.
Plan ahead
Another essential part of winterizing raised garden beds is to plan for proper snow removal and drainage. It is important to ensure your raised beds have proper drainage, and it is good practice to brush off snow buildup so the snowmelt doesn’t leave your raised beds water-logged.
Preparing for spring
Properly winterizing your raised beds will ensure a healthy comeback in the next growing season. Once your beds are winterized, the colder months are a fun time to start planning for the upcoming growing season. Now is the time to consider crop rotation, new varieties to plant, and any changes or improvements you want to make to your raised beds in the upcoming year.
Ready to connect with a trusted landscaping service?
Our professional team knows how to prepare your home and garden for winter. Let us help you protect your garden from the cold and get set for a bountiful spring.
Give Epling Landscaping and Lawn Service Inc. a call to discuss your specific requirements, desired frequency of service, and any other landscaping services you may need to keep your property looking its best.
Give Epling Landscaping and Lawn Service, Inc. a call at 540-554-8228 or drop us a line here.
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