According to research, this winter is the warmest we have had in half a century, with temperatures averaging out at around 6C higher than usual. As a result of this, plants and flowers are growing out of season, with the occasional daffodil popping up mid-winter! Of course, the majority of us don’t miss the biting winter cold and the chapped lips, runny noses and dry skin that come with it. However, the warmer weather can wreak havoc with our gardening routine, but here are just a few things you can do to try and fight against the confusing mild weather!
Move Plants Around
Of course you cannot control the air temperature, which is what will have the biggest effect on your plants. However, you can move your potted plants around to parts of your garden that you know tend to be a bit cooler, which is usually in locations away from the house. Be careful not to deprive your plants of sunlight in a bit to reduce the temperatures that they are exposed to- they require the sunlight just as much as the slightly cooler weather.
Keep On Top Of Weeds
In the warmer weather weeds tend to be more prominent than if it were cold and frosty, which means that there is the possibility that they will begin to outgrow the plants that you actually want in your garden. It is important that you keep on top of weeding, doing it at least once a week, to ensure that these weeds don’t steal any of the vital nutrients that your plants need.
Continue To Mow The Lawn
You may have thought that you had a little longer before you needed to get the lawnmower out again, but this mild weather means you have it all wrong. The warmer weather will mean the grass grows at a time and speed that it usually wouldn’t for this time of year. This means that you should continue to at least trim it so that it is not out of control come spring.
Be Prepared To Plant At Different Times
Of course, this is too late to worry about now, but it is something to consider for next year. Consider any plants that you would ordinarily begin planting in early spring, and begin to plant them in winter instead.
Take A Gamble
You won’t be able to get gardening in the mild weather completely right the first time around because it is new and it is something that you haven’t really had to deal with in the past. However, the most important thing is that you at least try, and that it doesn’t put you off gardening. It isn’t difficult, it just means you need to be creative about when you plant different crops and where you situate them in the garden. As long as you don’t ruin your most expensive and most prized plants, you don’t really have anything to lose!
Do you have any tips on how to garden in the mild weather? Share your ideas in the comments!
