Our Winter Gardening Tips

The cold is creeping in now, and Christmas is approaching fast. But it’s not time to hang up your gardening gloves just yet. There are loads of little jobs to be getting on with to put your garden in good stead for the new year. We’ve put together our top five gardening tips, from how to protect plants to supporting local wildlife to planning for the new year.

1. Make your plants cosy

Mulch, mulch, mulch. This is crucial for keeping your plants safe over these cold and dark months and for helping them thrive come spring. It provides insulation for your plants, reduces soil erosion from heavy rain, and improves soil structure.

2. Make Healthy Soil

Create healthy, living soil over the winter by expanding or creating no-dig beds. Simply put down sheets of cardboard, which will smother any weeds, and then you can put layers of compost on top. Worms and microbes will then get to work breaking it down into fertile, living soil so you can plant your next crop.

3. Get Pruning!

All your apple and pear trees should have entered their dormant period, making this the best time to start pruning them, as it's easy to see all their branches. Prune any dead, crossed-over or damaged branches to promote healthy growth and to allow as much light as possible to reach the centre of the tree and surrounding plants. You’ll need to wait for summer to prune your plum, cherry and damson trees to avoid silver leaf disease.

4. Protect seedlings

Prepare for the spring by keeping any germinated seedlings in a sheltered cold frame, and remember to look out for any sneaky pests. You can begin sowing at the end of February.

5. Help your Wildlife this Winter

Leave some seed heads standing over the winter. They provide food for birds and a few other animals, and hollow stems can also act as homes for insects like ladybirds. You should also keep an eye out for hedgehogs, because although they will be hibernating now, they may wake for short periods, looking for food.

We hope these gardening tips keep your space in great shape over the winter and looking blooming lovely come the spring.

For more gardening tips, head to our YouTube Channel.