10 Things To Do To Get Your Hobby Farm Ready For Winter

Temperatures will decrease as the season change, and cold weather arrives, resulting in frost and, finally, a hard freeze. We may do various things to prepare our homestead, garden, or hobby farm for the impending winter cold.

Make your garden beds.

You’ll want to disassemble and clean up any garden structures you have, such as bean poles and tomato trellises. Remove all t-posts from the hobby farm and store them for the winter.

Some plants, such as tomatoes, should also be taken out of the garden, and I recommend that you burn them. Leaving tomato plants in the garden over the winter or composting them may carry illnesses to the following year’s garden.

Consider planting winter wheat, rye, or vetch cover crop. This will help avoid winter erosion while also adding nutrients to the soil. This is also an excellent time to amend your garden beds with compost or manure.

Plants that are sensitive to frost should be brought indoors.

Bring your frost-sensitive plants inside for the winter. Tropical plants and herbs such as rosemary, aloe, bay, and others fall under this category. Dig up these plants if they’re growing in your garden beds. Please place them in containers and put them in a south-facing window indoors.

Some plants that we consider annuals, such as peppers, are perennials. If we bring them inside, they will continue to produce throughout the winter.

Remaining Crops to Be Harvested

Get out into the gardens for a final harvest of frost-sensitive crops such as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and other vegetables. A cold spell will ruin these crops. So, before it’s too late, grab one last round of delectable summer fruits.

Cold-tolerant crops like cabbage, kale, and Brussels sprouts will thrive in the cold and will even taste better after a light frost.

Herbs to be harvested

You must harvest the remainder of your herbs before the winter weather arrives, just like you must with your vegetables. Some herbs can withstand the cold better than others, and others, like basil, cannot tolerate chilly temperatures and must be harvested immediately.

You’ll be able to enjoy your herbs all winter long if you gather, dry, and process them.

Gather Seeds

Don’t forget to collect seeds for next year’s planting while harvesting your vegetables and herbs while you’re out in the gardens. A strong freeze will destroy the bases for many of our garden vegetables, and before that happens, it’s critical to gather them.

Gather the seeds as the plants mature and the seeds ripen and dry. Clean the roots of any debris and keep them in a cool, dark area until the following spring.

Garlic and wheat should be planted together.

Even though winter is approaching, there is still time to plant around the hobby farm! To be enjoyed the next year, several crops, such as flower bulbs, garlic, and winter wheat, must be planted in the late fall.

When planting garlic, make sure the space is thoroughly mulched. This will safeguard the young sprouts and ensure that they survive the winter in the garden.

Examine Your Heating Sources

We also want to make sure we’re ready to keep our houses warm this winter! If you heat with wood, be sure you have enough split and stacked to last till spring.

If you use propane to heat your home, now is a good time to inspect your tank and, if required, have it refilled.

Organize the Yard

Take a tour through your yard and gardens, gathering any tools, toys, or other items that haven’t been securely stored. Rust will form on your garden tools if you leave them out all winter.

Also, gather flower pots and store them in the shed before the snow buries them. Your flower pots may fracture and break due to the freezing conditions. To avoid this, store them in the garage or a shed.

This is also the time to disconnect and store any hoses and drain any rain barrels. These can easily be damaged throughout the winter if not properly cared for it.

Examine the Animals

We also want to make certain that the animals on our farm are well care for it. Adding more straw to their coops or barns will keep them warm during the harsh winter nights. Also, keep their water supply frozen by using a heating device.

Make plans for the following year.

There’s still work to be done after winter arrives and the gardens are blanketed in snow: designing next year’s garden! The optimum time to start planning goals for next year is when the memories of this year’s triumphs and mistakes are still fresh.

Spend the winter poring over seed catalogs, making lists, and daydreaming about all the things you want to accomplish and grow next year. Even in the dead of winter, your hobby farm can be enjoyable.