It may be cold now, but spring planting will be here before we know it. While you wait, use these last long weeks of winter to get ready for another successful growing season with a few projects you can start right now.
Start a Garden Journal
It can be a simple spiral notebook or a more sophisticated version, like an app on your phone. Whatever it looks like, a garden journal is an important tool for any home gardener or landscaper. Your journal is the place to:
- sketch out garden spaces.
- jot down needed supplies.
- outline a planting schedule.
- create wish lists – trees, shrubs, perennials, vegetables, and annuals.
- keep notes and photos of what works, what doesn’t, odd weather events, issues with bugs, and other information that might be useful this time next year.
Take Inventory
Nothing stalls a weekend project like discovering your supplies aren’t as ready as you are. Before spring fever hits, grab your journal and take stock of your supplies like:
- potting soil, mulch, and soil amendments.
- empty decorative containers, hanging baskets, and window boxes.
- seeds and seed-starting supplies.
- hand tools, pruners, and rakes.
- trellises, raised beds, and landscape structures that may need to be built or repaired.
And while you’re at it, arrange to have your various blades and machines serviced, cleaned, and sharpened before the spring rush starts. Possibilities include:
- turning up powered lawn care equipment like mowers, leaf blowers, and trimmers.
- cleaning and sharpening hand tools like pruners, loppers, spades, and shovels.
Make a Plan
You’ve got a place to take notes and an idea of what you have on hand. Now it’s time to sit down and make a plan:
- List potential landscape projects for this season – like adding a tree, improving a windbreak, refreshing the mulch, or building a rain garden.
- Decide which vegetables to plant and how many.
- Sketch out designs and plant lists for containers and hanging baskets.
- Create a calendar for starting each of your projects, including indoor seed starting.
Build Healthy Soil
Healthy soil feeds a successful garden and landscape. You can start building that foundation now with these wintertime projects.
- Spread a layer of rich compost over your garden and landscape beds once the snow clears a little.
- Consider a soil test. If your garden is new or there were problems last year, a soil test can tell you basic nutrient composition and soil pH and help you decide which additional amendments (if any) might be helpful.
- But wait to till. The natural freeze-thaw process will incorporate the nutrients into the soil over time without extra effort. And tilling the soil while it’s still cold and saturated with snow melt can damage its structure.
Start Planting!
Not outside, of course. We mean inside. With seeds. Late winter is a great time to:
- make sure your seed starting supplies are clean and ready to go. Are you beginning from scratch? Come see us – we’ll help you find the essentials you need and answer any questions you have.
- for each of the vegetables you want to start, find out many days before our average last frost date you should start the seeds. It varies from plant to plant, so check your seed packets – some, like Brussels sprouts and peppers, should start earlier than others. We have some helpful tips for successful seed-starting here.
We promise spring will be here soon. Be ready to roll when it finally arrives by preparing now. You’ll thank you later. And your garden will be off to a successful start to the season.
