Temperature Management
Make sure you are monitoring the day-to-day weather. While winter on the whole is colder than summer, the conditions can vary from one day to the next. You will need to care for your plants differently on colder days than on warmer days. When it is colder you want to protect your plants from the freezing temperatures with cover. On warmer days you may need to take off the protection to allow the plants to maintain their ideal temperature.
Watering
Just like with summer crops, it is important to provide adequate water to your winter crops. However, you need to be more careful about your watering practices. Don’t overwater the garden by only watering when the soil is dry and unfrozen. Water during the warmest part of the day so the plants have time to draw up the water.
Winter crops don’t need as much water as summer crops. First, most cool weather crops do not grow as quickly as summer crops. Second, with shorter, cooler days, you will not lose as much water to evaporation. And third, in many regions the winter months are wetter than the summer months. You will not need to provide as much water since nature is doing that on its own.
Mulching
You need a generous layer of mulch on all your garden beds. Mulch will help suppress weeds, protect the soil from erosion, and maintain the soil temperature. Once the first frost has occurred, add more mulch to the base of all your plants. This will help insulate them and provide the best environment for them to grow. Now is the time to use the rest of the leaf mulch if you chose to amend the soil that way.
Gardening is not just for the warm months of summer. Follow these guidelines and, with a little preparation and tending, you can enjoy fresh produce all year long.
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