Winter is a time for rest for both the gardener and the soil. Some gardeners dig over their soil and leave it in ‘big clods’ for frost to break it down into a tilth. I prefer a mulch method and letting the worms do the digging.
Remove any perennial weeds and hoe off remaining annual weed seedlings.
Do not walk on wet soil to avoid compaction and squeezing out air from the soil.
Don’t walk on frozen ground.
Keep soil disturbance to a minimum.
Add organic mulch to improve soil drainage.
Add garden compost or soil around leeks, sprout plants and broccoli to reduce wind rock.
Most fertiliser application can wait until spring but add Lime to your vegetable patch.
Gather fallen leaves and rot them down separately to form leaf mold.
Protect special plants from excess wind, rain and water-logging with some with shelter.
Root our any weakling plants that you are not going to try to cultivate next year.
Have a good therapeutic tidy up, clean and renew paths and leave the garden looking smart.
