Spring is just around the corner. Seed catalogs are arriving almost daily in the mail. It’s time once again to sit inside where it is warm and decide what vegetables to grow from seed this coming spring. For gardeners who plan to get an early start on the season, now is the time to place those orders.
Even gardeners with a short growing season can begin planting some crops outside in mid-January as long as the ground is workable. Cabbages as well as other leafy greens can be direct seeded around the 16th of January.
Seed potatoes that did not get planted in November or December can be planted now. With winter sown potatoes, remember to plant them eight inches deep and use grass mulch both under the seed potato as well as on top of the seed potato. Cover the mulch with about an inch of soil and by mid-summer you will be digging potatoes.
Some gardeners prefer to place a small cold frame or a frost cover over anything they plant early in the season. Although it is not necessary, using a cold frame will bring a faster harvest because of the heat buildup inside the cold frame. It will also protect your seeds from being washed away by harsh rains.
January is a good time to start cultivating and weeding the vegetable garden as long as the ground is not wet or frozen. Weeds that were not removed last fall may still have seeds on them so it is a good idea to cover the seed head with a bag so the remaining seeds do not fall on the ground and germinate. A weed seed can lie dormant for up to seven years before germinating.
This is also a good time to look at expanding your existing vegetable garden and adding a drip irrigation system. Since there is not much to do in the yard or garden during this time of the year, cultivating an additional plot or adding an irrigation system can take priority.
Once the size of the garden plot has been decided you will have a better idea of how many plants to start from seed. January is a good time to gather small pots, flats and row markers. Flats and pots that were saved from last year will need to be cleaned and sterilized. Hydrogen peroxide is a good choice for a sterilizer because, unlike bleach, if any residue remains it will not harm your seedlings.
Once your flats, pots and markers are clean and ready to go you can prepare your soil. A good homemade seed starting mix consists of equal parts peat moss, vermiculite and perlite. If you prefer not to mix your own soil, there are many good seed starting mixes on the market. Avoid top soil because it is too compacted and the seeds will struggle to survive.
By the end of January, you should have a head start on the upcoming spring sowing season. This early preparation will help you stay on schedule as the sowing season becomes more hectic. Cool weather leafy greens and cabbages will have a head start, weeds will be taken care of, new plots will be cultivated and best of all, the flats and containers will be ready to go when you get ready to start germinating this year’s vegetable seeds.
Most homeowners have probably spent hours looking at the different types of garden seeders. You may have even come across…
When it comes to vehicle lovers, cleaning their cars on a regular basis is essential to maintaining the paint job's…
Gas chainsaws are the perfect tool for a variety of outdoor tasks, including chopping up logs for firewood, clearing brush…
A home can be a daunting project, one that takes some time and energy to maintain. With hard work, determination,…
Today ginger is grown all over tropical and subtropical regions in Asia, in parts of Africa and South America, and…
Onions are one of the most popular vegetables in the world, and growing onions is a snap in the home…