From overwatering your lawn to turning composts – Brits make plenty of gardening mistakes during the winter.
Christmas is officially over, which means it’s time to get your green gloves on and head back into the garden. Yes, the weather might be miserable still, and it’ll be a while until all the colour returns to your back yard – but winter is the perfect time to step outside and get on top of those small gardening tasks.
In fact, January is an ideal month for planting tulips, sowing salad crops, pruning soft fruit and trees, mulching, and much more. With incoming frost threatening to wreck your beloved blooms, now is also the time to bring your vulnerable plants inside for a bit of warmth, and you can even press mistletoe into your trees if you want a shot at growing your own for next Christmas.
However, there are also several gardening mistakes you should avoid at all costs during the colder months – or risk causing serious damage to your green spaces. So without further ado, here’s four common errors most Brits are guilty of…
Watering your lawn
If you spend most summers meticulously watering your lawn in the evening to achieve that picture-perfect shade of green, you might be tempted to keep on quenching your grass in the winter. However, the cold temperatures will force our grass to go dormant, which means they won’t be as thirsty. Overwatering can lead to a whole host of issues including root rot, which can seriously damage your lawn. If you spot stagnant water or yellowing grass, you should definitely reduce the amount you water your garden.
Turning your compost
After feeding friends and family over the festive period, many of us have built up a small mountain of scraps ready to be added to the compost bin. If you’re into composting and eco-friendly gardening, you’ll know that turning your compost heap or bin helps speed up decomposition and makes sure everything gets broken down properly. However, doing this is winter risks harming wildlife, such as hedgehogs, who could be using our garden to hibernate. It’s therefore worth delaying this task until the warmer, spring months.
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‘Ignoring’ pest control
Pests can still rummage around your garden in the colder months, and it’s easy to ignore this if you’re spending more time inside. However, experts over at Homes & Gardens have urged Brits to ‘conduct regular inspections for pests and diseases’. “Taking appropriate measures, such as pruning infected branches or applying dormant oil sprays can effectively control overwintering pests,” they added. “This proactive approach to pest control will contribute to a healthier garden environment.”
To prune or not to prune
For healthy maintenance, you should prune deciduous trees and shrubs in late winter as this is when they’re dormant. Then, sit back and relax and watch new growth emerge in the warmer months. However, British horticulturist Monty Don warns prune plum, apricot, peach or cherry trees should only be pruned in late Spring – and only if ‘absolutely necessary’. The gardening ace says over pruning your trees risks attracting aphids and fungal disease, and means you won’t be picking any fruit in the summer.
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