By Vincent Papequash

Winter Gardens

Winterizing gardens as cold weather approaches

Oct 15, 2020 | 4:31 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Snowfall is expected on Friday, and again throughout next week, meaning winter is coming. For many people with gardens, it means it is that time of year again.

Dr. Peter Jackson, Environmental Science Professor at the University of Northern British Columbia says that it is expected to be cooler this year than normal. This is due to a la nina season.

CKPG did a news story earlier this year on how people were exploring gardening as a new hobby during the pandemic. The cold might be setting in, but that does not necessarily mean the end of a new hobby.

Lucia Van Hage at Art Knapp Plantland Home & Garden says that Prince George is not like the Lower Mainland, which can be warm enough for some outdoor gardens.

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Van Hage says “unfortunately anything above ground, in a pot, it’s just we’re too cold for that root system to survive.”

However, Van Hage has various tips for winterizing your garden and preparing for next spring. This includes using 0-0-50, a fertilizer that promotes the health of the soil going into winter months.

Van Hage says, “another thing you can do too is clean off all your dead flowers off of your perennials and your shrubs that you have right now. Don’t take them all the way to the ground, we don’t recommend that, because you could have some winter kill, but just clean them up.”

She also recommends wrapping trees with a tree wrap to prevent mice from chewing bark, and making sure evergreens and cedars are watered sufficiently to prevent freeze drying.

Van Hage says that some plants, such as citrus, geraniums, and fuchsias can still be brought indoors over the winter. She recommends spraying them with an End-All to prevent bringing in insects along with them.