Welcome to the WORX From the Toolshed blog!
Dig deep into the latest news & trends in gardening and lawn care, get your hands dirty with DIY tips, and find out how to make it all happen with the latest WORX tools.
The days are shorter and the temperatures are cooler, and you’ve probably already turned your attention to indoor DIY projects.
That said, the arrival of the colder months doesn’t mean you have to stop gardening completely. There are plenty of things you can do to keep your outdoor space beautiful and productive all year round, so today we’ve rounded up five great autumn and winter garden tips.
Clear fallen leaves
Fallen leaves can be a nuisance; if not dealt with efficiently, they can accumulate on the floor and lead to slippery surfaces. They also have a habit of collecting on roofs and in gutters, which can cause blockages and even leaks. Rather than burning the leaves in with any last-minute garden waste, set them aside and make leaf mould. When leaves rot down, they turn into a great mulch or soil improver which can be used all year round. Simply gather your leaves by running your mower over them, or use a leaf blower then lift and store in a bin bag or wire container and leave to rot down.
Clean and store equipment
One of the most valuable autumn and winter garden tips is to make sure you clean your tools and equipment properly before storing them away. This will help to keep them in good condition and will ensure they’re ready to use again next Spring. Take the time now to cover garden furniture, and place inside an outbuilding or shed if possible. Rub the metal parts of any tools with WD40, and wooden handles with a nourishing oil. If you’re going to keep gardening over winter, make sure you store the tools you’ll need where they’re easy to reach. It would be a good time to service your mower depending on the type, or clean it up and sharpen or replace the blades ready for spring. If you have a robot mower like the Worx Landroid, now would be the time to bring it inside for the winter. Set a reminder in your calendar for a weekend January to give the battery a top-up charge if you have a Worx charger that shares batteries or just pop it on the charging station outside for a couple of hours.
Sow autumn and winter seeds
Vegetables and flowers aren’t just for summer! Try some autumn planting onions and shallots, broad beans and peas for a super early spring crop. Experiment with winter salads, like perpetual spinach and pak choi sown undercover or in the greenhouse for some tasty home-grown treats during the colder months. This is also a great time to plant spring bulbs, and to sow perennial plants undercover for a glorious burst of colour next season.
Give lawns some attention
One of our top autumn and winter garden tips is to take the time to give your lawn a little care before the frosts arrive. Rake out any dead material, then aerate your lawn to help avoid any waterlogging during the wetter months. If there are any particularly dense areas, use a garden fork to drive deep holes into your lawn. Finish with a dressing, then feed to ensure your grass is beautifully green come the spring.
Create a log store
A DIY log store is a relatively simple project that will help keep your garden tidy during the winter months. It will also mean you have a plentiful supply of dry firewood for your log burner when temperatures plummet.
There are plenty of DIY log store tutorials available online; they can be as simple as an upcycled pallet store, or a more complicated enclosed cupboard style. The key is to situate your store close to the house, so your wood is on hand during those cold, dark evenings.