Your garden doesn’t have to die just because winter is coming! Here are some helpful tips to protect your plants from winter weather…

Old Man Winter is just around the corner, and despite the long, warm autumn we had this year, it’s time to think about putting your garden to bed, and protecting your outdoor plants from winter weather! While you may think that you can’t grow fall or winter crops if you live in a cool climate, in fact, as long as you choose the right plants, it is usually possible to keep at least some of your cool-weather crops alive into the winter months. Just make sure you choose cold-hardy plants to begin with.

If you live in a warmer area that doesn’t get a lot of snow or many hard freezes, you may be able to keep growing right through the winter into next spring with just a bit of protection!

Here are a few ways give your plants some protection from winter weather:

• Potted plants can be moved inside, under the eaves, or into a garage where they won’t be exposed to extreme temperatures.
• Perennial plants should be mulched in late fall with 4-6″ of straw or dried leaves. Pull back the mulch in the spring once the weather warms.
• If your winter is dry, you should water trees and shrubs about 3 times per month during the dormant months.
• Hardy bulbs such as daffodil, tulip, hyacinth, and crocus will tolerate hard freezes just fine. Apply 3-4 inches of mulch in the late fall. More tender bulbs such as dahlia, ranunculus, caladium, canna, begonia, freesia, and gladiola won’t usually make it through if the ground freezes solid, and should be dug up and stored in a cool place, then replanted the next spring.
• Cold frames, row covers, and other plant coverings can be used to protect hardy garden crops such as kohlrabi, collard greens, kale, spinach, turnips, and others during cold weather.

This handy graphic shares some more tips to help protect your plants from winter weather this year:

Source: Fix.com Blog