The final weeks of winter, and even the first few weeks of spring, are still chilly in many parts of the world. Despite those last vestiges of winter chills, late winter is a great time to begin preparing gardens for the coming planting season.
Gardens may have to withstand months of harsh weather each winter, and such conditions can take a toll. Gardeners can consider the following tips as they try to restore their gardens and get them ready for spring planting.
kF=mk=:ms:D:?764E J@FC E@@=D] xEVD 4@>>@? E@ 4=62? E@@=D :? =2E6 72== @C H96?6G6C E96JVC6 EJA:42==J A=2465 :? DE@C286 7@C E96 H:?E6C] qFE 4=62?:?8 2?5 5:D:?764E:?8 2C6 ?@E ?646DD2C:=J E96 D2>6 E9:?8] x7 E@@=D H6C6 ?@E 5:D:?764E65 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 AC6G:@FD 82C56?:?8 D62D@?[ 5:D:?764E E96> 367@C6 5@:?8 2?J H@C< @? E96 82C56?] s@:?8 D@ 42? 6?DFC6 2?J =:?86C:?8 324E6C:2 @C 7F?8: @? E@@= DFC7246D 2C6 <:==65 AC:@C E@ E96 368:??:?8 @7 82C56?:?8 D62D@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 tIE6?D:@?[ A=2?E A2E9@86?D[ :?4=F5:?8 324E6C:2 2?5 G:CFD6D[ 42? 36 EC2?D76CC65 E@ 2?5 :?764E A=2?ED E9C@F89 3:ED @7 D@:= 2?5 A=2?E 563C:D =67E @? D9@G6=D 2?5 ACF?6C 3=256D] %9@C@F89=J 5:D:?764E:?8 DF49 E@@=D AC:@C E@ FD:?8 E96> :? E96 DAC:?8 :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ C65F46 E96 C:D< @7 5:D62D6 :? J@FC 82C56?]k^=:mk=:mr=62C 563C:D 7C@> 82C56? 365D] {62G6D[ EH:8D[ DE:4<D[ 2?5 @E96C 563C:D >2J 92G6 82E96C65 :? E96 82C56? @G6C E96 H:?E6C] $F49 563C:D 42? :?9:3:E E96 8C@HE9 @7 A=2?ED 2?5 G686E23=6D[ D@ >2<6 DFC6 2== @7 :E :D C6>@G65 AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8] (665D >:89E 6G6? 368:? E@ DAC@FE FA :? =2E6 H:?E6C 2?5 62C=J DAC:?8[ D@ C6>@G6 E96> 367@C6 E96J 8@ E@ D665]k^=:mk=:m%6DE E96 D@:=] %6DE:?8 E96 D@:= AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8 42? 96=A 82C56?6CD 56E6C>:?6 H92E E96:C 82C56?D H:== ?665 E@ E9C:G6 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D] v2C56? 46?E6CD 2?5 9@>6 :>AC@G6>6?E DE@C6D D6== 9@>6 E6DE:?8 <:ED E92E 2C6 67764E:G6 2?5 62DJ E@ FD6] ~?46 E96 C6DF=ED 2C6 :?[ DA62< H:E9 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 2E J@FC =@42= 82C56? 46?E6C 23@FE E96 36DE E:>6 E@ 2>6?5 E96 D@:=]k^=:mk=:m{@@D6? 4@>A24E65 D@:=] $@:= 42? 364@>6 4@>A24E65 @G6C H:?E6C] x7 4@>A24E65 D@:= :D ?@E =@@D6?65 AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8[ A=2?ED H:== 92G6 2 92C5 E:>6 86EE:?8 E96 H2E6C 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED E96J ?665 E@ E9C:G6] {@@D6?:?8 E96 D@:= 2=D@ AC@G:56D 2?@E96C @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ :?DA64E E96 82C56? 7@C 2?J F?56C=J:?8 :DDF6D[ DF49 2D 7F?8: @C H665 8C@HE9[ E92E J@F >2J 92G6 >:DD65 H96? 4=62C:?8 563C:D @C E6DE:?8 E96 D@:=]k^=:mk^F=m
kAm{2E6 H:?E6C :D 2 8@@5 E:>6 E@ 2DD6DD 2 82C56? 2?5 255C6DD 2?J :DDF6Dk^Am
kAm%96 7:?2= H66<D @7 H:?E6C[ 2?5 6G6? E96 7:CDE 76H H66<D @7 DAC:?8[ 2C6 DE:== 49:==J :? >2?J A2CED @7 E96 H@C=5] s6DA:E6 E9@D6 =2DE G6DE:86D @7 H:?E6C 49:==D[ =2E6 H:?E6C :D 2 8C62E E:>6 E@ 368:? AC6A2C:?8 82C56?D 7@C E96 4@>:?8 A=2?E:?8 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmv2C56?D >2J 92G6 E@ H:E9DE2?5 >@?E9D @7 92CD9 H62E96C 6249 H:?E6C[ 2?5 DF49 4@?5:E:@?D 42? E2<6 2 E@==] v2C56?6CD 42? 4@?D:56C E96 7@==@H:?8 E:AD 2D E96J ECJ E@ C6DE@C6 E96:C 82C56?D 2?5 86E E96> C625J 7@C DAC:?8 A=2?E:?8]k^Am
kAm· s:D:?764E J@FC E@@=D] xEVD 4@>>@? E@ 4=62? E@@=D :? =2E6 72== @C H96?6G6C E96JVC6 EJA:42==J A=2465 :? DE@C286 7@C E96 H:?E6C] qFE 4=62?:?8 2?5 5:D:?764E:?8 2C6 ?@E ?646DD2C:=J E96 D2>6 E9:?8] x7 E@@=D H6C6 ?@E 5:D:?764E65 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 AC6G:@FD 82C56?:?8 D62D@?[ 5:D:?764E E96> 367@C6 5@:?8 2?J H@C< @? E96 82C56?] s@:?8 D@ 42? 6?DFC6 2?J =:?86C:?8 324E6C:2 @C 7F?8: @? E@@= DFC7246D 2C6 <:==65 AC:@C E@ E96 368:??:?8 @7 82C56?:?8 D62D@?] p44@C5:?8 E@ E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 |:??6D@E2 tIE6?D:@?[ A=2?E A2E9@86?D[ :?4=F5:?8 324E6C:2 2?5 G:CFD6D[ 42? 36 EC2?D76CC65 E@ 2?5 :?764E A=2?ED E9C@F89 3:ED @7 D@:= 2?5 A=2?E 563C:D =67E @? D9@G6=D 2?5 ACF?6C 3=256D] %9@C@F89=J 5:D:?764E:?8 DF49 E@@=D AC:@C E@ FD:?8 E96> :? E96 DAC:?8 :D 2 8C62E H2J E@ C65F46 E96 C:D< @7 5:D62D6 :? J@FC 82C56?]k^Am
kAm· r=62C 563C:D 7C@> 82C56? 365D] {62G6D[ EH:8D[ DE:4<D[ 2?5 @E96C 563C:D >2J 92G6 82E96C65 :? E96 82C56? @G6C E96 H:?E6C] $F49 563C:D 42? :?9:3:E E96 8C@HE9 @7 A=2?ED 2?5 G686E23=6D[ D@ >2<6 DFC6 2== @7 :E :D C6>@G65 AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8] (665D >:89E 6G6? 368:? E@ DAC@FE FA :? =2E6 H:?E6C 2?5 62C=J DAC:?8[ D@ C6>@G6 E96> 367@C6 E96J 8@ E@ D665]k^Am
kAm· %6DE E96 D@:=] %6DE:?8 E96 D@:= AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8 42? 96=A 82C56?6CD 56E6C>:?6 H92E E96:C 82C56?D H:== ?665 E@ E9C:G6 :? E96 4@>:?8 >@?E9D] v2C56? 46?E6CD 2?5 9@>6 :>AC@G6>6?E DE@C6D D6== 9@>6 E6DE:?8 <:ED E92E 2C6 67764E:G6 2?5 62DJ E@ FD6] ~?46 E96 C6DF=ED 2C6 :?[ DA62< H:E9 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 2E J@FC =@42= 82C56? 46?E6C 23@FE E96 36DE E:>6 E@ 2>6?5 E96 D@:=]k^Am
kAm· {@@D6? 4@>A24E65 D@:=] $@:= 42? 364@>6 4@>A24E65 @G6C H:?E6C] x7 4@>A24E65 D@:= :D ?@E =@@D6?65 AC:@C E@ A=2?E:?8[ A=2?ED H:== 92G6 2 92C5 E:>6 86EE:?8 E96 H2E6C 2?5 ?FEC:6?ED E96J ?665 E@ E9C:G6] {@@D6?:?8 E96 D@:= 2=D@ AC@G:56D 2?@E96C @AA@CEF?:EJ E@ :?DA64E E96 82C56? 7@C 2?J F?56C=J:?8 :DDF6D[ DF49 2D 7F?8: @C H665 8C@HE9[ E92E J@F >2J 92G6 >:DD65 H96? 4=62C:?8 563C:D @C E6DE:?8 E96 D@:=]k^Am
kAm{2E6 H:?E6C :D 2 8@@5 E:>6 E@ 2DD6DD 2 82C56? 2?5 255C6DD 2?J :DDF6D E92E 56G6=@A65 @G6C E96 H:?E6C D@ A=2?ED 2?5 G686E23=6D 42? E9C:G6 4@>6 E96 DAC:?8 A=2?E:?8 D62D@?k^Am
kAmE92E 56G6=@A65 @G6C E96 H:?E6C D@ A=2?ED 2?5 G686E23=6D 42? E9C:G6 4@>6 E96 DAC:?8 A=2?E:?8 D62D@?]k^Am
kAmk6>m%96 x?D:56CDi %9:D 2CE:4=6 :D DA@?D@C65 3J k2 9C67lQ9EEADi^^<H8C66?6CJ]4@>^Q E2C86ElQ03=2?<QmzU2>Aj( vC66?6CJk^2mk^6>mk^Am
ÌýÌý
ÌýÌýÌýÌýÂ