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Winter care for your garden
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Home gardens need care and protection from vagaries of climate
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— Photo: S. Ramesh Kurup
Take care: Winter can hamper the growth of plants and hence they need more care and attention in this season.
Come November – December, the biting cold and chilly nights can make life difficult for plants and their owners too. The climate can hamper plant growth and even kill tender plants. Thus, many garden lovers can find winter a problem.
Yet, with information and guidance available at the tip of our fingers through the Internet and through local resources, we can have an active gardening period and keep the green patches at home healthy.
Soil and the organisms in it can be affected, leading to a host of other related problems, points out Mukundan S. Chettiyappa, an organic farmer. Further, some pests are active in winter. Hence, plants need more care and attention in this season.
So, it does not mean that gardens should be left to hibernate and lose their liveliness. It only means that this can be turned into a time to improve and replenish the soil and also to enjoy planting the varieties that grow only in winter.
The soil in pots can be recycled and this is a time when we can do a lot of useful cleaning of both, the garden and garden equipment ( www.wintergardentips.com
).
The first suggestion Mr. Chettiyappa gives is: refer to the local weather station or website for forecast as climate is an important factor in gardening. “All operations depend on the weather conditions.”
A number of high-altitude plants can be tried now on the plains.
Some flowers bloom only in this season. However, one should avoid planting the varieties that are tender, recommends another garden lover here. It is also suggested that tender parts of the plant should not be cut or pruned now. These parts protect the plant and bear the brunt of the harsh cold. In case plants are to be raised now, it is better to have them in pots or containers under a warm green cover. One advantage of having the plants in pots is that they can be moved to a better place if there is a bad weather.
On protecting soil, Mr. Chettiyappa recommends mulching. Mulches can be swept up leaves of the garden, hay, corn stalks or Lucerne. These should be chopped and spread around the plant so that a blanket over the soil is formed. It is also essential to change the watering timing. Plants should be watered before it gets too cold, he says. Ground cover crops can also help cover the soil. However, one should be careful in choosing these crops so that they do not take away too much of soil nutrients.
In the case of windowsill garden, which are recommended in foreign countries for those with restricted space, he warns that these can attract flies into the house and should be adopted only if there is enough space.
Another gardener here adds that certain types of fungus can attack the plant in winter. One remedial measure suggested is use of neem cake mixed with water. This can be sprinkled on the plants.
M. Soundarya Preetha, Coimbatore
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