Tasks for the winter garden

Central Florida in winter is subject to occasional freezes but is often a place of mild weather in the winter months. In many other locations across the county, winter is the time where you don’t think much at all of gardening. However, in the Tampa Bay area, winter is a great time to get some garden tasks completed that become unsavory in hotter months.

Prep a new garden bed: Have an idea for a great new garden area? Get started on it now. Mark out your garden plot and remove all the grass and weeds from the area, making sure to shake as much soil from the roots as possible. If the soil is very sandy you might consider adding some good compost to the area and turning it into the soil. Turning soil, tilling a garden and tearing out sod are pretty uncomfortable jobs for hot weather.

Mulch: Mulching can be heavy work in the summer, but it has a great number of benefits to your garden. Also, a fresh layer of mulch in the winter helps an empty or sparse garden bed look more groomed and less barren. Here are some benefits of mulch for your garden from the Floridayards website:

Mulch, Mulch, Mulch: Mulch offers many benefits to your landscape. Adding mulch to your landscaping beds is perhaps one of the easiest things you can do to help conserve water, prevent weed growth and improve the look of your yard.
Here are some quick facts about mulch:

• Mulch maintains soil moisture, reducing the need to water established plants.
• Mulch inhibits the growth of weeds, reducing the need for chemical herbicides or other weed control techniques.
• Mulch buffers soil temperature by keeping it cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.
• Over time, organic mulch decomposes and improves your soil.
• Mulch can be used in place of lawn in areas that are difficult to mow or where grass does not grow well.

Learn more about the Nine Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping at Floridayards.org.

Research new plants for the garden: Planting the right plant in the right place is one of the Nine Principles of Florida-Friendly Landscaping. This means that you have to take a good look at your garden areas and determine what types of soil, sun/shade conditions and soil moisture conditions exist. If you have a bed that has rich soil, is in full sun and has constantly moist soil you can then do research on what plants will grow best there. Buying plants that will thrive in your garden means the plants will do better, last longer and will require less watering. Build a chart that shows the conditions in each garden bed an use that to help you find new plants for the garden.

Compost: Compost still breaks down in the winter, just at a slower rate than in the summer. Build yourself a compost bin and start recycling kitchen scraps, coffee grounds and yard waste. By Spring, this compost will provide you with a great way to enhance your soil using your own household trash.

Plant a winter garden: There really are plants that will grow in Central Florida winters, they just don’t tend to be tropical. The occasional freeze might mean you will have to cover part of your garden but some plants will take much less damage from a freeze or frost. Look for plants rated for cooler temperatures and a drier season.

• Herbs that do well in the cool season like parsley and cilantro will spice up your kitchen.
• Cool season vegetables and fruits like broccoli, lettuce, kale and strawberries can turn into salads and extra food for the family.
• Winter annuals like angelonia, salvias, alyssum, snapdragons, pinks (dianthus), and petunias can brighten up a patch of garden.