Winter doesn’t mean stop. It means pivot.
What are the temperatures in your neck of the woods? Can you see your frozen breath or just need a warmer jacket? As you adapt to the weather, so does your garden, trees, and berries. Plus, wintertime means winter pruning, availability of new seed catalogs, and researching garden plants.
Those with winter gardens – keep it going! As you stroll through your garden, check for growth, compost needs, and runoff. If youâre getting lots of rain or melting snow, think soil containment. Layering your garden with winter seed, covering with old hay, and straw can help deter your soil from running out of your garden.
A blanket of snow insulates your plants and soil. The snow adds insulation to your garden, worms, and soil. When you know you’ll have a thaw, you can add straw or hay onto the top of your soil. You can also plant seeds or cover crops as the snow melts and cover them with plastic or fabric. Planting seeds, even if they only sprout, helps slow and stop erosion.
Pruning trees, bushes, and vines.
Looking at your fruit trees, bushes, and vines. What do you see? Leafless, dead branches or a vibrant root system?
Deciduous fruit trees, shrubs, and vines lose their leaves in the winter, becoming dormant during cold months. During dormancy, the tree stores its food in the root system waiting for spring growth. Since the branches don’t store nutrients, trimming doesn’t harm the tree, bush, or vine. In fact, pruning helps the plant grow by removing unhealthy limbs and freeing up precious nutrients. Trimming plants prevents nutrient waste on dead growth destined for pruning. By keeping the nutrients in the roots system, the plants thrive underground, waiting for spring.
An added benefit of winter pruning is no leaves. Letting you see the entire tree without leaves getting in your way. You know what you’re pruning, without breaking off leaves in the process. Plus, you can see every part of the plant’s branches, allowing you to trim in a planned manner.
In spring, the nutrients flow from the root system to the top of the tree, bush, or vine, aiding in healthy branches, fresh growth, leaves, and eventually fruit.
Check with your local cooperative extension or garden center for suggested pruning in your area.
New garden seed catalogs.
Garden seed companies put out new catalogs between December and March each year. You can browse the internet for like-minded companies, then request a print catalog or search online. US companies often provide free seed catalogs.
Print and on-line catalogs contain detailed pictures and information for each plant. Many companies offer free newsletters with garden information and added bargains throughout the year.
Looking for a garden bargain?â¨Wintertime equals bargains from many garden companies. They clear out extra supplies from the previous year. Plus, they often offer âearly birdâ discounts for orders placed before a specific date.â¨â¨Donât worry, if youâre ordering plants or seedlings, you wonât receive them until itâs planting time in your area. Check different company websites or catalog for details.
Investigate new plants to grow.
Is there a specific food you love, but live in the wrong growing region? By investigating how a plant grows may let you create the right environment for a successful growing. Even if you’re in the wrong growing zone.
Iâm from the Southwest where Jicama, pronounced hee-cama, a root plant in the legume family, thrives. To grow Jicama, you need nine months of warm, dry weather. Where I live now is snow country, meaning I am lucky to get five months of frost free weather each year.
My solution, we started growing Jicama inside in January. We grew the plants in containers near a window for light and a heater vent for warmth. Come June we moving them outside and harvested in early October. The Jicama plants were small, but delicious. If you want to grow something, you need to figure out how you can, instead of thinking you can’t. You may decide it’s not worth the space or time to grow again, but at least you did it and could decide.
As you pour through catalogs on these cold winter days, be mindful of your garden space, wants, and needs. Don’t forget to look at what tools you may need to replace or want to add. Researching the best tools, then buying before you need them, makes gardening much more fun.
Remember, whoever owns your food owns you.
Buy local, grow, create and become the healthiest happiest you. Now start getting ready for the new season.