Prepare garden and greenhouse for cold weather now

Garden and greenhouse enthusiasts should be preparing for the winter season by getting themselves and their outdoor space ready for the cold weather.

The Mansfield News Journal recently published a list of tasks that should be ticked off before heading inside for winter.

One of those tips is to wait until the soil freezes before applying a winter mulch to create a steadier soil temperature during the colder months, stopping freeze-thaw cycles from damaging plant roots.

Another useful piece of advice is to inspect and clean empty flowerpots to help guard against disease.

Trees and shrubs should be given a final watering before the soil freezes over and dead and broken branches should be removed where necessary.

Hoses should be drained in order to avoid damage from freezing, while seeds should be stored in a cool, dry place, with any that are more than five years old discarded.

Meanwhile, KSEE 24 News reporter Faith Sidlow recently spoke to master gardener Carole Grosche about plants that provide colour during winter.