It is an important to prepare your garden for winter so that you can have a lush, beautiful lawn next spring and summer. Winter is a very good time to manage and maintain the health of your plants so that you can be assured of having a good crop in the coming seasons. Basically, lawn requires three-season maintenance and year-round maintenance if you want to enjoy greenery for the whole year.

Here are some tips that will keep your garden healthy and beautiful all winter long and even into the next spring and summer.

1. First of all, you need to clear out the debris like pine needles, leaves and thatch thereby allowing water, sunlight and nutrients to reach the lawn. Clearing debris also helps you to get rid of mole and vole infestation. You might never see a mole actually but may find telltale signs of their appearance, so clearing the debris will allow you to get rid of them.
2. The grass needs to be continuously mowed all along the winter months. Cutting off the new tender leaves before they become dormant inoculates your lawn against diseases such as snow mould. Aerate the lawn using the aerator attachment on your lawn mower or by using specially designed spikes that can be attached to your shoes (it helps the fertilizer and air to get inside your lawn).
3. This is a good time of the year to start a compost pile. The leaves from the trees and summer annuals can make great fodder for your compost pile. Once the pile is started, keep it going by adding dead flowers, grass clippings and any other biodegradable waste. Keep the compost pile most and turn it occasionally with a rake, so as to replace nutrients depleted from a long, hot summer. You can also take the help of a professional to help you select the best mix (of fertilizers) for your garden.
4. Winter is the best time to attract weeds. If you apply herbicide during the fall months, it will have plenty of time to reach the roots and kill the weeds. Spraying during the summer months may kill the plants above the soil, but fall presents a great opportunity to kill the weeds without damaging your plants. As far as the use of insecticide is concerned, you may use it, if needed.
5. Lastly, it is essential to water your lawn during the winter months as the humidity levels are low. If you have planted new grass, then you should water it deeply (around one to two inches) per week.

Well, if you keep the above ideas in mind, then you will be rewarded with a healthy lawn and fertile garden for the coming summer months.

Tags: how to prepare your lawn and garden for winter, ideas to keep garden beautiful, tips that will keep your garden healthy