Tools and Materials
Tools
- Scissors
- Hand Pruners
- Mini Shovel
Cold Frame (Optional)
- Watering Can
- Hose
- Sticks
- Markers
- Garden Stakes
Materials
- Compost
- Mulch/Hay/Straw
- Floating Row Cover
Pine Cones (Optional)
Product costs, availability and item numbers may vary online or by market.
How to Winterize Raised Garden Beds
By taking a few simple steps, you can ensure that your garden yields even in the coldest months. For successfully preparing raised beds for winter, consider the following steps:
Preparing a Garden For Winter
First identify all plants that have already grown and will no longer produce fruits and vegetables for the remaining seasons of the year. These include tomatoes, peppers, beans, cucumbers and squashes, among others. Remove all of these annually grown plants. You’ll also have to trim away the dead vines, stems and leaves on other plants using scissors or hand pruners.
These plants can be used to compost materials and enrich the soil. Remember to remove any infected plants before creating the compost.
Following that, removing weeds from your winter raised bed garden is essential. Whether it is how to prepare a flower bed for winter or a vegetable garden, removing unwanted plants is important for the upcoming new growth. This involves uprooting all the weeds from the soil right down to their root systems using a mini shovel. Any weeds in the garden beds will grow the following spring and harm other plants.
Remove all plant supports and trellises from the raised beds, including stakes, tomato cages and vertical supports. This will reduce the areas where diseases and pests could possibly hibernate and breed.
Some gardeners plant so they continue cultivating robust cold weather crops such as spinach and kale throughout winter. These can be grown in a protective cold frame erected on top of your raised bed. Covering raised beds and gardens with cold frames collect sunlight and protect plants from intense cold.
Commercially available pre-made cold frames are available or you can build your own using wooden slates, clear plastic sheeting, glass or greenhouse plastic. Ensure that the cold frames fit closely to minimize heat loss from the structure.
Enrich the nutrient-depleted garden bed soil by placing 2 to 3 inches of finished compost over the top of the beds. The beds should be dressed with compost from decomposing plant wastes, kitchen wastes, leaves, grass cobs and manure to form black soil.
It is also possible to apply slow-release granular fertilizer to supply soil nutrients throughout the winter period further. Sparingly spread this lightly over beds.
Compost enhances the soil quality once the plants have grown for a season. It fosters good bacteria and supplies nutrients for future garden crops.
Protecting raised beds during the winter is very beneficial in preserving the nutrients and water content of the garden soil. Soil that is left exposed has a higher chance of losing its nutrients through leaching and eroding by winter rains and winds. Here, covering raised beds for winter is an easy option.
Knowing how to mulch flower beds over the winter can set up easier springtime growth. Cover your beds with mulch, hay or straw to protect the soil and act as an insulator. Apply a thin layer of approximately 4 to 6 inches of loose straw or salt marsh hay on the bed surface. These materials permit airflow to help remove fungi.
Some vegetable gardeners also use breathable garden covers and pinned-down polythene sheets during winter to protect their plants.
If you’re wondering, should I cover my raised beds with plastic in winter? It is essential not to use solid plastic sheeting, as it does not allow air to circulate well. This will lead to undergrowth of plants and can also harm them.
Look out for pests that may hide under mulches, such as slugs and snails, in winter. These can conceal themselves under blankets and affect new vegetation in the spring. Establish traps to manage these garden pests.
Floating row covers should be used on plants and beds. These extremely thin textiles let air, light and water pass through but keep out biting insect pests. Row covers also protect plants from frosts and other extremely low temperatures.
When planning the garden, ensure that you prepare the raised garden bed well so that it is well watered before the onset of winter freezing. Moist soil also remains a little warmer than dry beds during short periods of frost.
It is important to water deeply using a hose or a watering can before ground freezing, as this stimulates the activity of beneficial organisms in the soil during the winter. Their activity is slightly warmed and helps to maintain the soil's structure.
Perennials should be flagged or marked in the garden beds where they are growing using sticks, markers or garden stakes. Under protective winter mulches, it becomes almost impossible to notice early spring growth of day lilies, irises and other perennials.
Consider adding hardy or cold plants for winter to enhance the area's aesthetic. Swiss chard, kale and parsley provide a green color. Twigs of red and yellow dogwood or willow branches appear well coming out of the snow. Some decorating items for the season include evergreen boughs or pinecones spread across beds.
It is crucial to inspect your covered raised beds during winter. Replace mulch or hay that has been blown away by wind. Search for burrows under the mulch caused by voles or mice and then block these. Make sure to flatten any raised edges of the cover fabrics down to shield the beds.
In spring, remove winter mulches and coverings and start planting once again. Adjust the soil if necessary and put up trellises and supports for the climbing crops.
By following the above-discussed tips on preparing raised beds for winter, you are preparing your growing beds for the next year's harvest. Some time spent in the winter pays off with strong and rich roots that result in plants ready to bloom in spring.