11 Garden Tasks to Prep for Winter

Just because summer’s over doesn’t mean tending your garden is finished for the year.

There’s still some work to be done, and the garden needs a bit more of your attention and TLC before it can rest quietly for the winter.

By taking care of these late season tasks, you’ll ensure that your plants and soil stay healthy during the cold, dark months.

And your garden will be primed and ready for action when spring arrives, so you can jump right in!

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Now let’s take a look at 11 things to do in the garden before winter sets in.

Like many cool season crops, root vegetables can take a frost or two and still be harvested in good condition.

In fact, most root crops – such as beets, carrots, celeriac, parsnips, and rutabagas (but not potatoes) – sweeten in flavor when left in the ground to mature at temperatures close to freezing.

And if you have well-draining soil that doesn’t freeze, many can be left in situ over winter, to be dug and enjoyed as needed.

To make digging root crops easier and protect against hard frosts, cover vegetable beds with a thick, 6-inch layer of dry mulch. Cardboard, fern fronds, evergreen boughs, or clean straw all provide good insulation that’s easily moved when you want to access your veggies.

In regions where the ground freezes, dig up root vegetables, brush off the dirt, and store them in a cool, dark location before the ground freezes.

During the coldest months, or when expecting a hard frost, tender perennials, tropicals, and succulents will benefit from having their leaves and stems protected.

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