Getting your garden ready for winter

Winter isn't a write-off in the garden. A few jobs between late October and December protect your plants from frost, wet and wind, and they make spring far easier. Here's our checklist.

The lawn

• Clear leaves every week. Wet leaves left on grass block light and leave yellow patches. Blow or rake them off and pile them up for leaf mould.
• Last cut on a high setting once growth has nearly stopped, usually in November.
• Autumn feed by mid-October if you haven't already. Use a low-nitrogen, high-potassium feed.
• Keep off frosted or waterlogged grass. Footprints on frozen lawns kill the blades and leave brown marks until spring.

Beds and borders

• Leave some seedheads standing. Grasses, sedums and echinaceas look beautiful with frost on them and feed birds through winter.
• Cut back soft, collapsing perennials that turn to mush and can rot the crown.
• Mulch around the base of tender plants to insulate their roots.
• Plant spring bulbs. Daffodils by the end of September, tulips in November.
• Plant bare-root roses, hedging and fruit trees from November to March, while they're dormant.

Protect tender plants

Plants that aren't fully hardy need help when temperatures drop below freezing.

• Move pots of tender plants into a greenhouse, porch or against a sheltered house wall.
• Wrap tree ferns, bananas and cordylines in horticultural fleece on cold nights.
• Lift dahlias after the first frost blackens the foliage, or cover the crowns with a thick mulch in milder areas.

Pots and containers

Waterlogged compost freezes, expands and cracks pots. Raise pots on pot feet or bricks so they drain freely, and group them together for shelter. Terracotta that isn't frost-proof should come inside.

Hedges, trees and shrubs

• Prune apple and pear trees between November and February, while they're dormant.
• Knock heavy snow off hedges and conifers before its weight splays the branches.
• Check tree ties and stakes on young trees ahead of winter gales.
• Renovate overgrown deciduous hedges in winter, outside nesting season.

Wildlife

• Keep bird feeders and a water dish topped up. Break the ice on cold mornings.
• Leave a corner of leaves and logs undisturbed for hedgehogs and insects.
• Check bonfire piles before lighting. Better still, compost or shred instead.

Tools and equipment

• Clean, sharpen and oil secateurs, shears and spades.
• Have the mower serviced in winter, before the spring rush.
• Empty fuel from petrol tools, or run them dry, before storing.
• Charge and store batteries indoors, away from frost.

Plan for spring

Winter is the best time to plan. Take photos of the garden now, when its structure is clear, and decide what you'd change. Order seeds, book in any big jobs early (spring diaries fill fast) and enjoy a garden you've put properly to bed.