Protect your landscape during the drier, cooler months to ensure explosive growth in spring.
With drier winter conditions, water deeply but less frequently. Early morning watering reduces evaporation and allows leaves to dry, preventing fungal diseases.
Apply a thick 2-inch layer of organic mulch around garden beds and vegetables. This locks in vital soil moisture and insulates root systems against chilly night temperatures.
Late winter is the ideal time to cut back dormant trees, tidy up structural hedges, and prune roses to encourage vigorous, healthy new growth.
Take advantage of the season by planting indigenous winter-flowering succulents and aloes. They thrive in dry conditions and bring vibrant color to a dormant garden.
Raise your lawnmower blade. Leaving the grass slightly longer protects the root system from the cold and reduces stress on the lawn during its slower growth phase.
Keep frost covers or horticultural fleece handy for sensitive or young tropical plants during unexpected cold snaps. Remember to remove covers during the day for sunlight.
Tackle weeds now while the soil is looser and the garden is dormant. Removing them before they go to seed prevents a massive weed invasion when the spring rains arrive.
Use the slower growing season to clean, sharpen, and oil your secateurs, spades, and mower blades so they are perfectly prepped and safe to use for spring pruning.
Start preparing your upcoming spring planting beds by digging in compost, bonemeal, or well-rotted manure now, giving it plenty of time to break down and enrich the soil.