How to prepare your plants for winter?

With the arrival of winter, it is essential to take care of your plantations. The month of November, with its increasingly shorter days and decreasing temperatures, is the time when vegetation enters its winter rest. We are going to give you some simple and useful tips to carry out in this month of November.

©David pearson / Alamy / Abaca

• Plant roses or spring bulbs in broad daylight.
• If the ground is not too cold yet, make beds of spring bulbslike tulips for example.
• Pick up dead leaves, cut off the water supply and empty the recuperators.
• Practice the last mowing and weeding.
• Protect the most fragile and cold-sensitive plantswhether in the ground or in a pot, by covering them with a wintering veil.
• Remove and store chilly summer bulbs like dahlias or gladioli and divide clumps of perennials have become adults.
• Raise the pots to facilitate the flow of water and remove any standing water removing saucers from under pots as standing water can freeze and damage roots.
• Decorate your garden with hellebores for example, Christmas roses. There are a multitude of varieties, for all tastes!
• Repair garden tools by cleaning them and removing the soil with a spatula, then pass a damp cloth. Store them dry until spring.
• Pull out the non-hardy bulbs and store them in a dry, dark place.
• Store sprinkler systems to prevent them from freezing.

Did you know ? Plants to be protected from low temperatures are said to be non-hardy. The wintering of plants concerns:

• Plants with tropical flowers (hibiscus, orchids, etc.).
• Mediterranean and orangery plants (oleander, bougainvillea, lantata, etc.).
• Cacti.
• Frost-resistant plants (fuchsias, geraniums, daturas, etc.).
• Chilled bedding plants.
• Non-hardy bulbs such as dahlia or begonia.

©Leblanc Catherine / Alamy / Abaca

• Dig, clean and turn empty spaces in the vegetable garden with a spade fork or a rototiller.
• When the ground is completely turned over and decompacted, amend the soil for successful planting the following spring. You can opt for green manure, manure or well-rotted compost.
• Also take the opportunity to plant winter lettuce like the salad bowl. From September to March, it is sown rather under frame but it can be eaten throughout the winter season! You can also plant gourmet weights, lamb’s lettuce, turnips or Chinese chives.
• Harvest root vegetableslike celeriac.
• Protect aromatic plants which can still be picked.
• Insulate your greenhouses by keeping them frost-free with air bubble wrap and wooden planks.

©CHROMORANGE / Martina Raedlein / Alamy / Abaca

• Remove mummified fruit and collect fallen fruit on the ground. It is also important to prune stone fruit trees by making a light size.
• Clean the trunk and branches of your trees removing moss and lichen with a brush. You can also apply lime to protect them from insects.
• Plant fruit trees in plugsbecause recovery is easier.
• Protect the water meter if he is outside.

© Leon Woods / Alamy / Abaca

In winter, it becomes difficult for birds to find food and shelter that will last through the winter. You can thus set up nesting boxes adapted to their morphologies and feeders. Offer them water, seeds and fat ball dispensers.

©Roger Covey / Alamy / Abaca

• Reduce watering and take care of the ambient humidity.
• Decorate your balcony or terrace, creating colorful seasonal planters. To do this, play with the colors of autumn and winter (holly, heather, primrose, etc.)
• Create your own compost.
• Place your plants on a saucer filled with clay pebbles to keep them moist
• Place your plants near your windows or other light sources.

LR