5 Things You MUST Do to Your Garden Before Winter

Don’t just walk away after harvest, these are 5 things you must do to your garden before winter in order to have a great garden next summer!

I’m not very sure how I feel about this post. On the one hand I’m the one that told McCormick Gourmet Spices that I wanted to do a post about prepping your garden for winter, but on the other hand this means I have no choice but to embrace the fact that winter is coming and in Utah that means it’s staying for a long time too. Thank goodness I love boots, sweaters and soup, now to only get rid of the freezing cold weather. So today we are talking about 5 things you must do to your garden before winter.

But, back to the post and why I wanted to slow you down and make you do one more thing in the garden before you freeze your buns off all winter (Florida and Arizona, you can just save your comments about 80 degree weather. I’m already crying inside with jealousy). You see, prepping your garden for planting should actually start now and not once you’re getting ready to plant. You want your soil soaking up nutrients and getting ready for a new season all winter long. It’s kind of like training for a race (obviously Cade has now stepped in with his two cents as I don’t run…ever). You wouldn’t ever jump into a marathon without training, no you want to get toned and strong so you can make it through. Your garden needs that as well. So, here’s what you do.

1. Weed, weed, weed. Oh, I know you want to throw dirt at me right now, but it’s true, weeding doesn’t end when harvesting starts. You’ll want to go through the strawberries and other plants and remove any weeds so the roots aren’t hanging out and coming back stronger the next year.

2. Kill the morning glory. Don’t we all hate that stuff? Well take care of it now by spraying it and then pull it out, roots and all so that next year it wont come back as quickly or as strong.

3. Once you’re finished with harvesting you need to till your soil 2-4 times. Yup. Till up that sucker so that you can send nutrients back into the soil and mix everything together so that once snow or cold weather freezes the ground you’ll lock those nutrients in and help the soil get ready to feed your plants come planting season.

4. And speaking of freezing the ground, water your garden really, really well once or twice before the snow hits. Really soak it well. When the ground freezes it’s going to lock the moisture in there and help produce fantastic soil come spring.

5. Last, but probably most important and ugly, bag up your leaves and throw them on the garden. I know, it’s not pretty and it takes work versus just burning the leaves or trashing them but they are wonderful come spring. Bag them up, let them sit in the garden all winter and come spring till them into the soil, and then till it again a few more times. This creates a wonderful mulch for your garden which of course means soft, nutrient rich soil and in the end a bigger, better harvest. Which is what we all want, right?

Once you’re all done with prepping your garden head inside because this is the best time of year (in my humble, but totally correct opinion) to play around with the McCormick Gourmet Spices. The veggies that we get around this time of year really stand out with sauteing, roasting and baking which is an awesome compliment to the warm, spicy, and rich flavors you get from spices like clove, Roasted Saigon Cinnamon, Chipotle Chili Pepper, etc. All of these spices tend to have more herby, earthy, woody and nutty flavors which makes you feel immersed in the season. In fact, one of our favorite things to do is it to go buy a few favorites and simmer them in a saucepan with a little water and half an orange and let our home smell like the season all winter long.