Hot pursuits of cold days

Amarjeet Singh Baath

The intensity of cold as well as the duration of winters may have reduced oflate, but that doesn’t mean that the effect of cold weather on your garden and plants will be less in any way.  Low temperature, short days and dense fog will leave a mark on your plants if you are not careful and observant enough. For a novice winter may appear to be a dull season with trees and shrubs shedding leaves and losing colour and charm, but for a seasoned gardener it’s a period to revamp the garden and prepare for a blooming garden a few months down the line as winter months present an opportunity to review the design, health and performance of plants. 

Here’s how you can utilise the current season to keep your plants and garden healthy:

Lawns

Keep the lawns moist but do not overwater. As growth is retarded, weeds hardly appear and mowing is seldom required.

Roses

Remove the faded flowers and remove suckers to maintain good quality of bloom. 

Annuals

A few early flowering annuals are already in bloom, while others are ready to flower. Keep the flower beds moist and use a thin polythene sheet or ‘sarkanda’ to protect them from frost. Provide staking where required.

Plant propogation

It’s also time to take cuttings of your favourite plants. Just take a short soft stem of pencil sized cutting. Strip off all leaves except the top pair and insert the cutting into a rooting medium. Divide the oversized clumps of plants to control their size and renew their blooming.

Irrigation

Spray mist of water in the evening on the plants so to form protective layer of moisture that protects them from frost.

Manure

Winters offer opportunity to commence the process of recycling the fallen leaves into a wonderful soil conditioner. Dig deep pits and throw all the fallen leaves with a layer of soil or compost to cover and keep it moist. Leaf mould is prepared within six months. More pits can be dug to ensure round-the-year supply. It is the most beneficial medium to revamp plants. Such pits can be made in a corner or hidden part of the garden. It’s also time to give all trees and shrubs a dose of manure.

Pest and diseases

Be watchful for pest and diseases which are rarely active in this cold temperature.  

New plants

The plants that have vanished in the past can be replaced and it is an ideal time to plan for new plantation.

Bulbs

Winters also offer a right time to think of planting bulbs like, Amaryllis, Football Lilly, Tuberose ( Rajnigandha) and Zephranthus.

Fruit trees

It’s time for preparing for new plantation. The fruit plants like pear, grapes, falsa should be planted by mid-February before hew growth appears plum, grape fruit, kinnow, lemon, mango, and loquat should be planted by end-February.  

Indoor plants

Make the potted plants as comfortable as yourself. Shift them under cover to save them from cold injury. Days are short during winters which mean lesser sunlight. Clean the leaves as and when dust begins to settle on these so that they are able to utilise sunlight better. Arrange them in a manner that each plant draws maximum sunlight. Periodic shuffling is desirable. 

The air inside may get dry which may be inadequate for the plants so maintain adequate moisture level by regular misting and keep the pots wet, but not over irrigated. Weak plants can be administered a dose of liquid manure.