Tired of being stuck inside and wishing you could be out working in your garden? Unfortunately, we’ve still got some cold and nasty days ahead. That doesn’t mean, however, you can’t start working on your garden during the cold months.
Sure, you may not be able to be watering and caring for your plants and flowers, but pre-spring garden preparations are important for ensuring a successful spring and summer of beautiful flowers and fresh fruits and vegetables. With one or two exceptions, these winter tasks can all be done from the comfort of your own home or garage.
So all you green thumbs out there, you ready to start?
Clean up your garden space
It’s been awhile since summer when your garden was getting lots of love. But, some time has passed. Fall and winter weather can be unkind to your garden. You can help your garden get a fresh start by giving it a little TLC. Head out and remove any sticks, branches and/or debris that may have fallen into your garden over the past few months. If you see any, you could also start pulling up any weeds that have started to grow as well.
As soon as it starts getting nice out, your previous plants will begin popping and any new plants will need to be planted. Doing most of your major clean up now ensures you’ll have a good start on any planting and not inhibit the growth of sprouting plants.
Get your tools ready for action
If you are a gardener, there is plenty of digging, tilling and trimming in your future. Now is a great time to get your tools ready for the work ahead. If you didn’t clean them off last year (shame on you) give them a little love with some soap and water and a wire brush for problem areas of heavy dirt and rust.
You may not have done it in the past but sharpening your tools every year is a good habit to get into. It helps increase their overall performance and can help their longevity, giving you more seasons of gardening out of them. Here’s a really helpful guide for cleaning and sharpening your tools.
Work on your compost
Compost is like beans for plants. It’s full of energy and nutrients your plants love. Compost enriches the soil helping your plants and flowers grow stronger, fuller and more beautiful. No garden is complete without plenty of compost. You can find compost at your local garden supply store, but you can also easily make it at home!
With nothing more than a bin and the right materials, you can start getting compost ready now. Get yourself a compost bin and start filling it with fruit and veggie scraps, coffee grounds, eggshells, dry leaves, grass clippings, shredded newspaper and staw. If you don’t mind some critters inhabiting your garage you can do it in there. Otherwise, if you have a shed that you can keep relatively warm you can do it in there as well. These materials will follow their natural course and break down, attracting some insects and critters so plan accordingly.
Finalize your plan
If you are planning any expansions or additions to your garden this season, this isn’t necessarily something you want to do on the fly. Take some time, before you actually start getting your hands dirty, to map out and plan any changes.
You can take this time to start accounting for necessary space needed for new plants, what materials you need to get such as fencing and how much new ground you need to till and prepare. Gardening requires thoughtful preparation, so make sure you give yourself ample time before the weather gets nice.
We can’t wait to start bringing in our new fruits and vegetables and enjoying the beautiful flowers we grow. Hope you have a successful season in your garden. Once you start seeing your garden yielding delicious food, pair them with delicious Randall Beans in one of our fantastic recipes!
