The Onset of Winter Should Call for These 5 Extra Gardening Activities

Some homeowners believe that winter should be a time to relax when it comes to caring for their garden. After all, everything goes into hibernation and you don't have to pay as much attention as you did during the quieter season. However, this is also the time to repair any damage from those baking hot days, to make sure that your lawn is best prepared to recover over the winter months and be in its best shape when growing season begins again. What can you do to prepare everything?

1. Clearing Leaves

Do you love the autumn, when leaves turn a vibrant colour and slowly drift to the ground? While this may look pretty, you do need to clear up the mess rather than leave it to its own devices. If you don't, the lawn underneath will suffer and any effort you make to fertilise will essentially be a waste of time.

2. Colour Retention

Your aim must be to stimulate the biology of the soil when temperatures dip, so the lawn remains in relatively good condition and retains its colour. You need to introduce a certain type of fertiliser that can help to patch over the drier areas and which will survive without a lot of water until the winter rains actually come.

3. Recycling

See if you can find a mower that returns the finely shredded clippings to the lawn as it works. This will not only help to nourish the grass over the slow season, but you will avoid having to dispose of the grass clippings elsewhere.

4. Caretaker

Your job as chief caretaker is to repair any damage caused by drought or excess sun and keep the lawn alive until the first buds of spring. The more attention you pay to this now, the more successful you will be next year. Just remember that this is not the time for you to put your tools away, but a time for a specific regimen that will make your job a lot easier next year.

5. Stocking up

Have a word with your landscaping supplier, to get the right type of garden fertiliser for this season. You don't want to overdo it here, however but should choose a product that delivers its "goodness" over time. Remember, you may not be able to water automatically if this is restricted in your area.

You don't want to give yourself too much additional work just to keep up with your gardening schedule. Use these and other tips to prepare your garden for the winter weather.