Quebec's vibrant autumn colours mark the end of the gardening season. Before you put your tools away, it's essential to prepare your garden for winter to ensure it thrives in the spring. Whether you're in Zone 3, 4, or 5, follow this complete guide to protect your plants and guarantee their health through the cold months.
Lawn Care: Prepare Your Green Carpet for Spring
A healthy, resilient lawn is the key to a beautiful garden. Here’s how to take care of yours in the fall.
- Overseed or lay sod to fill in sparse areas and ensure a dense green carpet in the spring.
- Repair damaged areas caused by drought or heavy use.
- Mow the lawn until it stops growing, gradually lowering the cutting height to 3.5 cm (1.4 in.) for the final cut.
- Fertilize with a special fall fertilizer to strengthen its cold resistance and promote vigorous growth in the spring.
- Treat for white grubs if necessary to prevent root damage.
- Clean up the yard by collecting fallen leaves to turn them into nutritious mulch or compost.
- Protect the curb side of your lawn with a tarp to prevent damage from salt, gravel, or sand used in winter.
Read our complete article on preparing your lawn for fall.
Flower Beds & Perennials: Preserve Beauty & Prepare for Blooming
After the lawn, your flower beds deserve special attention in the fall to ensure beautiful blooms next spring.
- Weed regularly to prevent weeds from taking hold before winter.
- Plant spring-flowering bulbs like tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths for a colourful display as soon as the warm weather returns.
- Bring in annual bulbs like Calla lilies, Oxalis, Caladiums, and Begonia or Dahlia tubers. (Read the article on how to do it)
- Clean out flower beds by removing plant debris and withered plants before the first frost.
- Plant new perennials to give them an extra growing season in the spring.
- Prune perennials that have finished their blooming cycle to about 15-20 cm (6-8 in.) from the ground.
- Divide perennials that bloom in the spring, such as daylilies, peonies, asters, and phlox. This is ideal for multiplying and rejuvenating them. (Read the article on how to do it)
- Protect less hardy perennials with a mulch or a winter blanket, especially those planted or divided in the fall.
Potted Plants: Extend the Season & Protect Them
Potted plants need special care to safely get through the winter.
- Bring in tender plants that you want to keep through the winter to a bright, cool location. These include geraniums, fuchsias, begonias, impatiens, lantanas, and many other tropical or annual plants.
- Extend the season by potting up autumn plants with spectacular foliage, such as ornamental cabbage or chrysanthemums.
Discover the right steps to bring plants in without insects!
Tree & Shrub Care: Ensure Their Health and Protection
Trees and shrubs, essential elements of the garden, need to be prepared for winter.
- Plant new trees and shrubs in the fall to give them time to get rooted before winter.
- Fertilize with a suitable fertilizer for deciduous plants, conifers, and hedges to strengthen them before winter.
- Water conifers deeply to allow them to build up water reserves.
- Mulch the base of trees and shrubs to protect their roots from frost and retain soil moisture. (Read the article on why to mulch)
- Install winter protection (covers, sleeves, etc.) when the ground is frozen or after a snowfall to prevent damage from cold and wind.
- Check the trellises of climbing plants and protect them if necessary.
Vegetable Garden: Harvest & Prepare for Next Year
Fall is the time to harvest the last vegetables and prepare the garden for the next season.
- Harvest late vegetables like cabbage, leeks, and carrots before heavy frosts.
- Store root vegetables (potatoes, beets, etc.) in a cool, dry place.
- Plant garlic in the fall for a harvest early the following summer.
- Protect strawberries with a layer of straw mulch to insulate them from the cold.
- Cut back raspberries after harvesting to stimulate new growth in the spring.
Composting: Repurposing Garden Waste
Fall is an ideal time for composting, thanks to the abundance of organic matter available.
- Collect fallen leaves, grass clippings, withered plant stems, and vegetable peels.
- Alternate layers of brown materials (dead leaves, branches) and green materials (kitchen scraps, grass clippings) for balanced compost.
- Aerate the compost regularly by turning it with a fork to promote decomposition.
- Add a compost activator if necessary to speed up the process.
- Use mature compost in the spring to enrich the soil in your flower beds and vegetable garden.
Additional Tips: Promote Biodiversity
A welcoming garden, even in winter, attracts wildlife and contributes to biodiversity.
- Maintain tools: Clean and store your gardening tools before winter to preserve them.
- Prepare the garden for birds and wildlife: Install feeders, nesting boxes, and leave some areas of wild vegetation.
