Magical Moments Magazine vol 1 | Page 73

Make Compost to Supercharge Your Garden

Compost is the superfood for plants. You can turn food scraps, leaves, lawn clippings, and other otherwise useless "green waste" like these into nutrient-rich fertilizers and soil amendments for your plants. A compost bin powered by worms will produce compost in much less time than other kinds of the aerobic kind, but if you're not keen on being so close to a big bin of worms, you can create a compost tea instead, blend old food scraps for instant compost, or see if your community offers free compost (and mulch). After clearing the planting area and removing weeds, add a 4-inch layer of compost to new beds and work it well into the soil along with any other nutrients.

Prune Shrubs and Trees, and Divide Perennials

Winter is the best time to prune your trees and shrubs, before new growth and warm weather can increase the risk of disease. Just make sure you do it properly, lest you do irreparable damage to the tree or shrub. BHG says to prune fruit trees before buds begin to break into bloom, otherwise you could get a tinier crop due to stressing the tree. It's also a good time to divide perennials before plants have begun their spring growth.