Even though the colder season marks the end of the year's planting season, your garden doesn't need to remain dormant in winter. TikToker Alessandro Vitale (@SpicyMustache) shared five tips to replenish your garden soil and protect your plants during the winter.
@spicymoustache Get your garden ready for the winter! #fyp #fypシ #gardening #gardeningtips #gardentiktok ♬ Einaudi: Life - Ludovico Einaudi & Daniel Hope & I Virtuosi Italiani
The scoop
Alessandro's first tip is to build your own plant cover to protect your plants from strong winds and cold temperatures. He shows how you can easily make a plant cover from simple materials: flexible pipe, bamboo, zip ties, and fleece. This low-cost plant cover will allow your heartier crops to continue growing outdoors with a minimized risk of frost.
Alessandro's second tip aligns strongly with the tagline found on his website: "Low waste & organic." He recommends collecting old, yellow plants and chopping them up to add to your compost pile.
"You will transform [old plants] into a valuable thing to use in your garden and save money the next season," Alessandro says.
By replenishing your compost pile with nutritious materials, such as old plants from your garden, you recycle those nutrients when you return the compost to the soil for your next grow. Alessandro's third tip is to use that nutrient-dense compost to cover barren garden areas and prep it for new plants.
"October is the perfect month to plant flower bulbs, like garlic," Alessandro says.
Bulb plants are generally low-maintenance and can bloom at different times of the year. You can beautify your garden with bulb plants such as daffodils, alliums, crocuses, and more while attracting pollinators.
Lastly, his fifth tip is to plant cover crops that protect your soil during offseasons. Cover crops minimize soil erosion and can be incorporated into the soil later for further fertilization.
How it's working
Alessandro's winter gardening tips are not only beginner-friendly, they can also save you money on multiple fronts while increasing your chances of gardening successfully.
🗣️ How much time do you spend taking care of the plants inside or outside your home?
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🔘 One hour a week ⌛
🔘 Less than one hour ⏳
🔘 I don't have any plants 😢
🗳️ Click your choice to see results and speak your mind
For example, making your own plant cover can save you hundreds of dollars on buying a greenhouse structure for your garden. Composting nutrients from garden plants recycles plant materials, reduces waste, and saves you money on fertilizer.
Growing your own food over the winter cuts your grocery bills, and you enjoy the freshest of produce. Bulb plants, when in bloom, attract pollinators to your garden, encouraging important activity that supports healthy ecosystems.
Gardening also happens to be great for physical, mental, and emotional health.
Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder found that those who gardened were more active than those who did not. They also consumed more fiber than non-gardeners. Community gardening, in particular, helps improve one's overall well-being, raising levels of self-esteem, optimism, and openness while decreasing levels of stress.
What people are saying
Many felt encouraged by Alessandro's tips.
"I really didn't know if I was preparing everything correctly for winter, but this was very informative and reassuring! Thank you," one commenter wrote.
"I have started a small garden cuz of you," another shared.
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