Ensuring the health and safety of your garden during the cold winter months

JEROME, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — Harvest season is underway across the Magic Valley, and it’s not just a time to think about this year’s haul but also to look ahead to the next year as well.

The same goes for home gardeners who want to make sure they’re ready for winter and next spring, and Moss Greenhouses in Jerome can help prep.

“The beauty of living in Idaho is that we live in Idaho. But the other side to that is we have four full seasons,” says Jennifer Moss.

With fall here and winter on the way, Moss says now is the time to start prepping your home garden.

“This time of year is really a time to be looking at putting your perennial gardens to bed, getting all of your annuals composted out of your gardens, and your vegetable gardens put to bed,” explained Moss.

Moss explains that much like farmers across our area, local gardeners have to think about the work that needs to happen each season to set themselves up for success.

“It’s a very ag mindset. But Idaho is an ag-based economy. So we all kinda need to get into that farmer’s circle, if you will. Get in that crop cycle. So it is just the normal crop cycle of the garden,” she said.

When it comes to what you need to do right now, you’ll want to start preparing your flower beds for snow and colder temperatures, think about what to plant right now and make sure you’re getting your soil ready.

“The tricky part for the home consumer is knowing what fertilizers work for spring and what fertilizers work for fall in the plant cycle. So, reach out to your local independent garden center,” Moss said.

She also shared a great tip to help track all of your plants, so you can properly care for them year-round.

“I always recommend that people keep a kind of garden journal of their favorite plants, make notes, and keep the tag attached to it. So if they’re wondering what kind of butterfly bush outside or what kind of lilac and when it needs trim, they have that information available to them,” she expressed.

Overall, the work put into a garden now will impact the results seen once the temperatures warm up again and your plants come back to life.