Garden Tips
3 .
NOT ALL COVERS ARE CREATED EQUALLY
BONUS TIP: Water your evergreens well in the fall since they require a reserve of moisture. “I think of it as a battery. If you have a battery full of water, it can last through the winter.”
Throwing a burlap bag over your most vulner- able plants might put them in further danger, Labbe says. “It’s important that the covering doesn’t touch the foliage. It’s a common mistake where an individual can take burlap and wrap it around a cedar and think they’re doing it good, but they’re actually doing it harm.” The burlap can draw moisture out of the foliage, and the movement of the burlap can also damage the foliage through abrasion after it freezes. Instead, Labbe suggests protecting plants such as rose bushes, young evergreens and other sensitive shrubs by building a teepee or cage around them and ensuring any covers aren’t touching or rubbing against the foliage.
- CHAD LABBE
Александр Беспалый / Adobe Stock
4 .
DON’T CHURN THE VEGETABLE GARDEN TILL THE SOIL TURNS TO DUST
Once your hard-earned produce has made its way indoors, you should upturn the soil with a spade or tiller and give it a mix — without going overboard. Over-churning the soil can put the ground at risk for erosion over the winter. “Leave it chunky as opposed to beating up or pulverizing the soil,” Labbe says. “The freezing and thawing action will break it into fluff over the winter.” Once in chunks, Labbe adds, the soil can receive amendments such as peat, manure or other organic matter such as fallen leaves — an unexpected source of nutrients.
5 .
WINTER GARDENING GIVES NEW MEANING TO THE TERM COLD SNAP
January is just as good of a time as any for pruning trees, Labbe says. Yes, you heard that right. “Even with snow on the ground, you can prune your fruit trees or trim them up for a bit of character. Sometimes a nice day in January is a nice day to be out doing stuff too.”
Photo courtesy of Shelmerdine Garden Centre
58 FALL 2026 PARADE of HOMES | homebuilders.mb.ca
Powered by FlippingBook