As winter creeps in the green and lush garden of yours turn to a threadbare plot. The thought that it’s the time to clean up your garden and retreat into your house for the winter comes to your mind. Before you snuggle into your cosy blanket by the fireplace, sipping something hot for the winter lets know how to shut down the garden for the winter.

Cleaning up the Garden to welcome winter: Its finally time to remove the spent plants from the garden and convert them into compost. Leaving dead plants in your garden will act as breeding grounds for pests who will simply wait there to attack your new stock in spring. If you have diseased plants, don’t put them in for compost; instead, make way for them into your fall fire so that the cycle of the disease is cut short.

Adding Mulch: After cleaning up its time to add a protective solid sheet over the soil to protect it and the sleeping plants inside it from the harsh winter. A naked garden in winter is an invitation to blow away the soil, to be washed away in the rain and be negatively affected by the effects of the winter weather. A thick layer of mulch all over the garden or small patches of mulch over the plants are two options you have here. You can use grass clippings, fall leaves, soiled poultry beddings, crop cover, green manure or duck flock as mulch.

Planting Fall and Winter garden crops: Instead of mulching, you can also grow some winter crop to keep your garden functioning throughout the year. Fall gardens may yield spinach, beet, carrot, radish or kale. Winter gardens may yield lettuce, clover, winter rye or hairy vetch.

Winter Pruning: Winter pruning leads to vigorous spring growth. The main logic behind trimming and pruning is the same but the requirements of each plant differ. The threat of fungus and insect invasion is reduced by making cuts.

Winter Tool Care: Winter calls in for some efforts to pamper your tools. First of all, it is necessary to clean off any dirt from the tool. Next, if you notice rust on the surface, buff it away with sandpaper or wire brush. Bend the distorted tools back into shape and sharpen the edges. At the end coat the tools with light machine oil, natural or vegetable oil (whichever is available) to waterproof and protect your tool. Then after taking care of them store them in a dry container or the coming spring.

It might seem like a lot of work done after a long season of sowing, and harvesting. But this is a very thoughtful shut-down for your garden. After the mulch is set over the garden, the plants sleeping cosily under the blanket of mulch, the tools too had their spa day and now taking some rest, you can finally retreat into your cosy room to spend your winter vacation in peace and come back the next spring rejuvenated for another long year of greens.