I know it’s winter and the garden is sleeping, but prepping in January and Feb. inspires prolific summer blooms.
Here are 10 tips for your winter to do list:
- Trim the roses back on Columbus Day in October to thigh high–they need 6″ of length to potentially freeze over the winter and give them a handful of Systemic Rose food, then on President’s Day in Feb, trim them to calf or knee high depending on if you’re short or tall and spread a handful of Systemic Rose food on them. Feeding them every 3 months in the winter grows strong roots, and helps fight mold, mildew, aphids, etc from the inside out. [I like this 3-1 care]
- Sharpen or replace your hand clippers. Dull clippers leave room for water rot on uneven branches. [I love these! They fit my hand and stay sharp.] And always cut at an angle so water runs off.
- Dip your clippers in bleach water between plants to avoid spreading diseases (5-gallon bucket, fill halfway, add 1 cup of bleach) or I drag around bleach wipes and trash the used ones between plants.
- Replace your leather garden gloves. The leather protects your hands from the toxin on the rose thorns. [These are my favorite!]
- Cut to 2″ all perennial grasses.
- Cut any old growth except for plants that grow on old growth like Clematis and hydrangeas.
- Fruit trees and bushes–Cut back any growth the grows straight up. Trim branches you know can’t hold the weight of fruit and cut out any branches that cross over each other.
- Throw a handful of Epsom salts at the base of perennials and fruit trees. The winter rain will wash it into where it’s needed most.
- Stock up on Bloom Booster (Costco still has the best prices for bulk)
- Preen all the pathways and flowerbeds with established plants (newbie plants can’t take this weed reduction) Remember, Preen is a weed stunter, so it needs to be spread before they grow. Read the directions. I love this product because our flowerbeds are in the same area as our well water source and it’s non-toxic to water and pets. I spread it on a dry day (rare in the Pacific Northwest in the winter) and just before a rainy day (otherwise you can sprinkle water over it)
*If you want spring flowers: daffodils, tulips, etc. Now is the time to plant them. Also if you plan to separate bulbs, Hostas, peonies, and others, Oct. is the time to do it.
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