With winter just around the corner, right now is potentially one of the most important times to make sure you are taking proper care of your garden to prepare it for the harsh season ahead. To give your garden the best chance to thrive through the winter season, we have compiled the following tips to prepare for the winter.

Bring tender plants inside now. As soon as it starts feeling chilly and crisp in the mornings, your tender plants should be brought inside where it is warm.

Mulch your gardens. For the outdoor plants in your garden, cover their roots with fir or hemlock bark mulch to insulate them against the winter cold. Insulating can mean the difference between life and death for tender plants. Additionally, the nice thing about adding mulch to the garden in the winter is that come the springtime, you can work the mulch into the soil. The tops of your plants may freeze off during the winter, but the mulch will protect the roots and the bottom part of the plant, ensuring the plant’s survival through the winter.

Wrap your plants. Plants similar to the banana tree and windmill palm should be wrapped for their protection over the colder months. With these types of plants, it’s important to protect the crown of the plant from freezing. Using a plastic material such as bubble wrap around the crown of the plant will help to keep moisture out, then fill the rest of the area surrounding the plant with an insulating material.

Keeping Watering Your Plants. Even in the winter, plants need to be kept hydrated. Pay close attention to plants under eaves that may not be getting much rain water. Once spring rolls around, people often complain about their plants buds dropping off – this is often due to the plants not being kept watered through the winter.

Don’t Repot Until Spring. Winter is hard enough on your plants without also adding in repotting into the mix. Even indoor plants should follow by this rule – as they are dealing with low light and indoor conditions. Once spring rolls around and there is signs of life back in the outdoor trees, plants will deal better with being repotted.

Winter is coming quickly – follow the above guidelines to give your garden the best chance of thriving into the spring.