Seven simple steps to clean up your garden for winter

A gardener’s work is never done, and even during the cooler months of autumn and winter there are still a whole range of things to stay on top of.

1. Call a tradie

If you have a tough job you can’t do yourself, now is the time to give your tradesperson a call. Winter is notoriously a quiet period, so it’s often much easier to find someone with the time available to help you around the home.

2. Check those chemicals

If you’ve got a garden shed full of chemicals, take the time to go through them and determine which ones are passed their use by date. It is important to make sure household chemicals are disposed of safely, so check with your local council for their policy and/or the location of a drop off centre in your local area.

3. Clear your gutters

Clearing your gutters of leaves and other debris is an important project, but all-too-often it is overlooked. If you haven’t checked and removed the items clogging your gutters in a while now is the time to get it done. Not only will clearing the gutter prevent your home from water damage during a downpour, it will relieve the stress to the gutter and its brackets and potentially save you the cost of having to repair or 4. replace them if they fall.

4. Hand-remove flat weeds

Broad leaf weeks or flat weeds can be a real pain in the butt, but if you remove them from your lawn while they are still small and before they get the chance to smother a larger section you will be on your way to having a lush, green grassed area that helps contain weeds.

5. Inspect your bulbs

Plants like gladioli and dahlias can be prone to rotting, so winter is a good time to have a closer inspection of the bulbs around your house. Remove the damaged ones, which will prevent any rot from spreading.

6. Service mechanical tools

Lawn mowers, whipper snippers, shredders and mulchers all need a good service if you want to ensure they are useful for a long time. If you clean and sharpen your hand tools — such as the secateurs — you can also improve their performance.

7. Remove weeds

Weeds in garden beds and vegetable patches need your attention now if you want to avoid common pests like aphids and whitefly making a home in your garden. Be sure if you’re hand weeding that you remove every last bit of the room. There are plenty of organic options for staying on top of winter weeds including:

• mix 1 part salt with 4 parts vinegar and paint carefully onto plants.
• pour boiling water onto the plant, being extra careful not to get it on your ornamentals.
• cover with black plastic and pin down the edges for up to eight weeks to ‘cook’ the weeds to death.
• drown the weeds in a bucket of water for between eight and 12 weeks.

What garden to-dos are on your list? Do you enjoy getting your hands dirty during the winter months?