Frosts will be here soon, which means plants like Impatiens will soon look like applesauce, or the flowers of fantastic vines like Passiflora will soon drop. But this is not the only problem. Not only will the most delicate plants look ugly, but cold weather brings other consequences.
Here are five quick tips to protect your garden in the days ahead.
Tip number 1 - Protect delicate plants indoors
If you live in an area where frost occurs, do not wait to protect tropical and semi-tropical plants that you have been able to enjoy outside, such as: bougainvilleas, ferns, clivias, plumerias, and the like. It only takes a single night of frost for most of these plants to kick the bucket.
It is important spray first with horticultural oil or insecticidal soap to make sure they don't carry pests or eggs with them. Once inside, we will place them in a place with much light, as much as possible. Don't worry if the leaves turn yellow and / or fall off quickly. The dim light inside means that the plant does not need them now.
Do not fertilize these plants until spring. We must be very careful with watering: in winter they grow more slowly and do not need as much water.
Tip number 2 - Protect clay pots
Clay pots absorb and release water - as if they were breathing. This is why plants grow so well in them. But in winter, when it freezes, the pot freezes, which makes it easier for cracks to develop Over time they will become large cracks that will force us to throw away the pot because it has become useless.
For this reason, we must put them indoors or store them outside in a dry place, where they do not get wet.
Tip number 3 - Turn off the irrigation system
Surely you have had the irrigation system on automatic all year. But unfortunately July is behind us, and both plants and grass do not need as much water as before, and if the irrigation system is on when the thermometer drops below zero, the next morning you will wake up in a garden similar to the amazing Siberia. , or even worse (just kidding !, but you can lose a lot of plants like that).
Tip number 4 - Clean the garden
Yes, I know. You go out one morning to find mushy tomatoes, bell peppers, squash, and cucumbers that are starting to look sad, that don't finish growing. When the cold arrives, the best thing to do is remove all these plants, since the cold will make them fill with pests which can do a lot of damage to the rest of your plants.
Therefore, it is advisable to enjoy these plants in summer, and now in winter to uproot them and use them as compost.
Tip number 5 - Protect plants with mulching
Who among us has not tried to fool Mother Nature by wanting to have plants that are a bit on the edge in our area? I'm talking about elephant ear, calla lilies, amarillys, lantana, gladioli, cannas, agapanthus, and so on. One way to get plants to survive the winter is remove all dried leaves and stems, and mulch them around (protecting the root system).
Mulching can be made up of pine straw, straw, or earth bark.
With these tips, we hope that your plants will survive the winter without problems.
Source - Daily south
Image - Garden Plants, Useful Home, Slow Food
More information – Padding