Article: Checklist of Garden Chores in Preparation for Winter

Created on: Monday, June 09, 2003

• Plant spring blooming bulbs
• Apply a winterizing fertilizer to lawns for overwinter stem and root rejuvenation, and early spring greening
• Cut back perennial flowers after a hard frost and taking up the last of the annual flowers
• Topdress perennial and bulb gardens with bone meal, manure and peat moss
• Put away all seasonal plant supports and tidy up the garden shed
• Fertilize shrubs and trees
• Use anti-desiccants before temperatures dip below 45 degrees - these will protect plants from winter windburn and drying out

• Wrap all cold sensitive plants with burlap once they have gone dormant
• Cut back rose bushes to expose less surface area to winter injury
• Apply heavy mulches only after the ground freezes to assure that rodents have already found a home for the winter and won't be tempted to move into your warm mulches and feed on your prized plants

• Selectively prune trees and shrubs, like privet. The sap is concentrated in the roots, wounding is minimized, and dormant buds will have time to respond as soon as warm weather approaches, sending out a thrust of new growth in the desired locations.