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Is it Spring yet?

Jan 21

2 min read

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In the dead of winter, with high temps in the 20s or 30s, what can we do to help our gardens survive? It’s obviously too late to prepare in advance (do I hear “procrastinate!”?) to protect the plants. Mine are on their own at this point 🥺.


But - Maybe we can do something now that will prepare the beds for new plantings in the Spring? I envision future tomatoes and peppers in one bed, the herbs and veggies in other beds that we hope to grow in the Spring. And yes, of course! There are lots of things we can do!

We can add soil nutrients now, that will feed the soil for Spring planting. And that’s just as simple as topping the beds off with organic mulch such as straw, shredded leaves, nut hulls, pine needles, or wood chips. You could stick a fork in there and work it in, or you can leave it on top. Give it some water when everything’s not frozen which will help break it down. In addition to providing protection, these organic mulches put nutrients back into the soil as they biodegrade, ultimately creating more organic materials for the microbes to feed on.


Have seeds that are left over from years past? If you know where you wanted to plant them, now is a great time to go throw them out there. If you’ve had them a year or two, they may or may not still be viable. You can try starting them indoors, but if that’s too much work just go throw them out and see what the spring brings!


Don’t be raking up the leaves right now. There are creatures living under them and need the protection they offer until it warms up a bit.



If you want to try your hand at cuttings, it’s a great time to work with dormant plants! Some gardeners like to start rooting tree cuttings in water, while others prefer rooting them directly in sandy soil. In either case, you’ll do best to clip pieces of young branches, those under a year old, for growing trees. When the tree is dormant, the sandy option is best,

To start the process, use a sharp, clean pruner or knife to clip off a sections of the tree branch around 6 to 10 inches (15-25 cm.) long. There should be no leaves or buds but if there are,remove them. Dip the cut end in hormone powder, available at garden stores. Sink the branch into a pot with potting soil or sand. You can leave it outside for the winter. Water periodically, check for roots after a few weeks or when the weather is beginning to stay warm consistently. Then repot!


Whatever you choose to do in your garden while you’re waiting for Spring to return, just being there is good for your soul. Allan Armitage, a well known horticulturist, wrote: Gardening simply does not allow one to be mentally old, because too many hopes and dreams are yet to be realized.


I hope this inspires you to start planning for Spring!


Herbs are our allies!


Nancy





Jan 21

2 min read

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