Winter Gardening Prep Work Saves Time in Spring

It never fails that towards the end of winter, a few rare days of sun and warmth start even the most veteran gardeners thinking about seeds, mulch, and planning ahead. Unfortunately, for almost every USDA hardiness zone, it’s too early to consider starting all but the hardiest of cold winter vegetables, even inside. Fortunately, there are several gardening ‘chores’ that can be done in the winter that will help bridge the icy gap from now until frost.

Get the Garden Ready for Spring

Many gardeners choose to use a certain area of the yard, raised beds, containers, or a mix of all three. As the sun changes position from year to year, the sun-to-shade ratio in the garden may change, signaling the need to adjust the garden’s location or the plants within the garden. Now is a good time to review how much sun the garden is getting and if beds need to be moved to produce optimum results this year.

Chances are that last year’s crop depleted the soil of essential nutrients that should be replenished before planting this spring. Unless the ground is frozen, now is a good time to start working the soil by amending with compost, peat, leaves, and other organic matter.

Although most gardeners think of this space as utilitarian only, there is no reason a garden can’t be as fun to look at as it is to work in (or eat from). Winter is a good time to look at the bare bones of the garden to see if adding hardscaped details would be beneficial. Great examples of hardscapes are birdbaths, fountains, rock walls (whether natural or prefabricated), benches, obelisks or trellises, or garden art. All of these items are available at big box stores, small neighborhood boutiques, or online in every price point and to suit every imagination.

Expand the Garden this Year

Gardeners are famous – or notorious – for wanting to grow (pun intended) each year. There are always new plants to try, or other ways to incorporate new ideas into the garden. Here are some ideas:

• Incorporate flowers into the vegetable garden. Butterfly- and hummingbird-friendly flowers will be beautiful as well as draw more pollinators to the garden
• Incorporate vegetables into large container arrangements. Some varieties of tomatoes, pepper, and other vegetables are stunning when placed as the centerpiece to a large container of flowers
• Try organic pest control and/or fertilizer. A little research online will produce a variety of organic options for the amateur gardener. Spray-N-Grow is an example of a company devoted to people- and pet-safe garden supplies
• Start composting. Compost bins and supplies are available almost everywhere, and homemade compost is so easy to make, no to mention satisfying to use. Making compost at home decreases the need to buy certain expensive fertilizers, cuts down on household trash, and will help poor soil found in many areas
• Add a rotation of crops – instead of one round of summer vegetables and fruits, a more complex and high-yielding garden would consist of early spring plantings (such as spinach, broccoli, and carrots), a mid-summer planting (the usual tomatoes, peppers, squash, etc.), and a late-summer planting (more tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers)

Although there is nothing like preparing to plant or working the soil in spring, there are ways to get out in the garden to enjoy the fleeting warmth of late winter. Gardeners can implement changes to the garden and plan for new and improved results this year. This garden work will shorten the preparation needed in early spring and ease the gardening ‘itch’ that seems to strike in late winter.