Winterize your peonies
So that time has come — at least, here in Alaska. Autumn is upon us; the nights are growing colder and darker, the days are shorter, and everyone’s decked out in camouflage — it’s about time to think about getting the peony beds prepped for winter. A bit premature here, but time goes fast, and if neglected, end-of-season chores can pile up in a mad dash to beat freeze-up. So, let’s look at some essential steps to winterize the beds.
Irrigation.
I think the most important step is prepping and draining the irrigation system. Water freezes, and when frozen, it expands. Expansion of your expensive irrigation system breaks things down. You don’t want things broken — especially if it puts your wallet on a diet. So taking care of this WELL is essential before the shadow of freeze-up starts creeping down the lanes.
Be sure everything that should be disconnected is correct. Most drip systems operate with a pressure control system; this should be removed, drained, dried, and stored safely out of the elements if possible.
The manifold piping for your irrigation should also be disconnected from hoses or piping and be open on either end (if possible) to prevent blockage. This I blow out with a compressor system, opening both ends and thoroughly emptying the manifold piping to avoid ice and winter cracking.
Next, the ends of your drip hoses should be opened, and the piping should be blown or walked out. No water in the system should be left over that could freeze up during the winter. When the hoses are dried, I leave both ends open in case I missed anything; if potential ice is given a place to go, it will follow the path of least resistance and be less prone to causing cracks and breaks in the system.
Roll up and put away any components that can be disengaged and dry stored in the garden shed/garage. Run hoses, pressure control (as stated above), etc. If you don’t have much hosing in your garden beds, completely removing and storing them out of the weather is ideal. Don’t tear anything up, but if the system is removed from the harsh weather before it begins, its relative lifespan can increase.
Hedge the edge
Clean the garden edges off. This means trimming grass, pulling weeds, or raking up leaf litter when the trees have fully surrendered their foliage. If you have fencing, clean off any plant material; if weeds are still in the beds, get them pulled. If you haven’t cut your peonies back and tossed the old foliage, get that done now. The results should be a clean, neat, well-groomed area where no pests can winter over comfortably for the following year. Plant material is where biannual fungi and infections hang out, awaiting warmer weather to begin their pernicious campaign against your peonies. Trimming grasses and cleaning out litter decreases infections; pulling and whacking weeds/tall grass prevents further weed expeditions into your garden. Clean fences look nice. All in all, before the freeze-up, get your garden cleaned up.
Fence maintenance
If you have any fencing around your garden, early to mid-autumn is the time to check it over and get any of the damaged or worn components you were going to ‘fix later’ fixed now. Tighten up wiring, straighten up posts, replace rotten or broken pieces, get the fresh coat of paint on, tighten up loose ends, and straighten out that gate. Whatever job needs doing on that fence before freeze-up, get it done; you won’t be able to later.
Plan next year.
Finally, get your plan for the next growing season put together. Want to plant more bulbs this year? Get a plan, get a place, and get it prepped before spring. Need a new irrigation system? Work out what you need and where, and set a time and date to purchase it for the spring installment. Want anything moved? Now is the time to prepare to dig up tubers and bulbs when the season is late enough by prepping a site. All in all, you should be ready for any upgrades or changes you want before the freeze and WELL before the winds of winter start blowing.
Remember, winter is coming; be ready when it does.