By Claudette Sims, Halton Master Gardener
Final garden check
Last chance to put away watering cans, garden equipment, and hoses.
Trees
Make sure young trees and shrubs are protected from rabbits. Use tree wraps or wire baskets placed over smaller plants. Plan major tree or shrub pruning now while branches are bare.
Houseplants
Check weekly for disease or pests. Remove dead or dying foliage. Make sure you check the soil before watering.
Amaryllis
Pot up your amaryllis. Choose a pot 1-2 inches larger in diameter than the bulb and at least 5 inches deep, with good drainage holes. Add a light indoor potting mix and then place the bulb (roots down and pointy side up) into the pot. Add soil to within an inch of the top so that about ½ to 2/3 of the bulb is showing. Water well, avoiding water on the neck of the bulb.
Stems and seedheads
Leave seedheads and stalks intact over the winter.
Create a brush pile habitat! Why? Year-long shelter for insects and wildlife. Protects birds from predators. How? Start with a base of larger branches or stones. What to use? Woody twigs, prunings, and logs. Rocks and concrete blocks are good for basking and shelter or as a base. Where? Discretely located at the back of the garden, behind/around shrubs or perennials. Avoid? Shredded materials and “green” waste. Pressure treated/toxic materials. Locating near buildings. No food waste. Learn more at Nurture Native Nature!
– Halton Master Gardener Claudette Sims
Lawn
If you still have leaves on your lawn, rake them into the garden (or bag/compost to store for spring mulching) when the weather permits. Avoid walking on your lawn if soil is soft and leaves footprints.
Food crops
Cover carrots, parsnips, and newly planted garlic with straw to harvest in the spring. Collect rose hips and hawthorns for jelly or tea.
Bulbs
Get those bulbs in the ground before it freezes solid!
Live Christmas trees
Donate your tree to a local organization such as the Royal Botanical Gardens, cut it up, and return branches and logs to your garden or use it to start your new brush pile! Remember to remove all decorations and tinsel.
Winter sowing
Get your equipment ready to start your native plant seeds! Halton Master Gardener Bev Wagar will show you how!
