Give your garden some TLC this winter
A drop in temperature doesn't mean you should hang up your gardening tools, in fact, there are many ways to give your garden some TLC in winter.
POLOKWANE – It is important to take care of your garden all year round and winter is no exception.
A drop in temperature doesn’t mean you should hang up your gardening tools, in fact, there are many ways to give your garden some TLC in winter.
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The Polokwane Review spoke to the chairperson of the Pietersburg Gardening Club, Adrienne de Wit, about caring for your garden in winter and how to keep your plants flourishing.
Colder mornings will bring frost with it and De Wit said it is important to protect tender and semi-hardy plants from frost by covering them with a frost cloth and perennials by scattering a thick layer mulch, leaves, bark or nutshells over the soil at the roots.
“The frost cloth will not harm the plant, but it will keep the frost out,” she said. de Wit added that it is best to water your garden in the morning so the sun can clear water before it freezes. “You should also make sure the ground can drain fully as wet ground can cause harm when it frost. Compost and river sand can be used to help with this.”
She said it is important not to prune any damage caused by frost and rather wait for warmer conditions before removing dead leaves and branches.
De Wit said one should remove dead wood from trees and shrubs. “Tie the trees and shrubs with superficial root systems to struts to prevent wind damage. Keep climbing plants that grow in trees in check as their weight can break the branches.”
