We love taking part in the best gardening Lancashire has to offer, and miss our time in the garden in the winter.
We miss the excitement of the summer and the time outdoors, but we know that this is a good time to keep out of the garden for the time being.
Why? The soil. Yes, that’s right. While the soil may not occur to you as a particular feature in a garden it is actually the most important aspect. Get this right and you will have a luscious green garden to enjoy in the summer, get it wrong and little will grow as it is supposed to.
Though it seems that little is going on in the garden right now, that is not actually true. The foliage that was so verdant in the summer and autumn months is now rotting into the soil, the worms will be turning it over and turning it into composts. Their casts are the lumps you will see on the surface of the lawn in the spring.
On top of this the cold will be killing any pests and diseases the soil may have and also breaking up any clumps. The breakdown of hard lumps is vital for improving drainage.
But be careful. These processes are making the soil more delicate than normal, standing on wet, cold soil can compact it and stop these processes from happening. You should never stand on soil when it sticks to your boots, summer or winter, and you should never compact it in the winter.
To find out more about caring for your soil in the winter, head to Gardener’s World.
