Get Your Garden Ready for Winter With This Checklist

Sadly Old Man Winter is creeping closer and closer to our area. So it's time to think about putting away the garden tools and getting out the snowblower.

But before you do, there's a few things that you should be doing in the garden right now to better prepare it for the winter months ahead. For the full list of 10 chores to do this month, check out my blog (link is below).

Empty any terracotta or ceramic pots of it's contents, dirt and all. Then give them a good scrub with a wire brush before washing them with a soapy water mixed with a bit of bleach. Store them upside down in a heated garage or shed.

Drain your garden hoses and disconnect them. Try storing them in a large bucket hung from a hook in the garage rather than having them lie around all winter.

Stake younger trees to protect them from leaning due to harsh winds and heavy snowfall.

Empty your rain barrels. Leaving water in them over the winter may cause them to crack - even plastic ones. Trust me, we have first hand experience. Divert the downspout away from the rain barrel and leave the water spout open so that any rain will automatically drain out.

Original article and pictures take http://www.hometalk.com/10662913/get-your-garden-ready-for-winter-with-this-checklist site