Winter Gardening

There are many tasks that you can do during the winter months that will help you to be prepared when winter ends and springtime arrives.

Gardening is a year-round hobby not to just be done when the weather permits you to be outside from Spring through Fall.  We will put together a list of projects and tasks that will fill your time during the winter months, making you a better gardener enjoying the cold winter months.

Month by Month Best Winter Gardening Projects

November’s best project list

Now is the time since you have put your garden to bed, to take stock of your tools and winterize them for use in the Spring.  For any tools that are broken that cannot be repaired, it is best to throw them away and make a list of tools to repurchase.  If they can be repaired add them to your project list.

Clean tools, this is the opportune time to clean your tools for storage during the winter to make sure they are in top condition for use in the Spring.

Sharpen tools, to make your tools work properly they need to be sharpened throughout the year but now is a great time to have them prepared for your future garden tasks.

Garden recap for the previous growing season.  Now is the time since it is still fresh in your mind to make note of the successes and not-so-successful plants and production from your garden.  By doing this now it will help you when you start to plan out next year’s garden.

December’s best project list

Seed Catalog requests time for the next year’s gardening, most seed companies will make available their seed catalog in December or January.

Take inventory of the seeds remaining in your inventory to know what you need to repurchase.  It is also important to date your seeds so that you know how old they are.  If you have older seeds that are not propagating very well it is time to dispose of them.

January’s best project list

Now is the time to order your seeds with the popularity of gardening if you wait until spring to order them you might miss out on some of your favorites.

Plan your garden by designing where you will plant in the Spring so that you know how much room you have to plant.  Also, it is important to rotate your crops so it is very valuable to document where you planted the previous year.

Take inventory of your indoor seed starting equipment to make sure everything is ready to use, lights, seed domes, trays, and planting pods.

February’s best project list

Purchase seed-starting soil and seed pots so that you can start planting your seeds indoors.

Sharing seeds you have collected from your garden is a great way to meet other gardeners and exchange seeds with your new friends.  You can do local searches to find seed-sharing groups or you can reach out to local nurseries to see if they sponsor or have details about local seed-sharing exchanges.

Start planting seeds indoors.

Sow pea seeds directly in the garden as soon as soil can be worked.

Recap for winter projects

To be a successful gardener and be able to enjoy gardening year-round, the use of the wintertime gardening project list will help to fill those cold winter days.

How to winterize and sharpen garden tools

Clean them by using a course metal brush to remove all debris on metal parts, next use a damp rag to wipe off, and if needed use vegetable oil or mineral oil to finalize the cleaning process.  for the wood handles use sandpaper to remove any rough spots or splinter and then use linseed oil to protect the handle.  Once this is done you should store them in a dry location.

• Course metal brush
• Heavy grit sandpaper
• Fine sandpaper
• mineral oil or vegetable oil
• linseed oil
• Rags

How and what is needed to sharpen garden tools, best to use a file or sharpening stone on the beveled edge of the clippers or shears working in a circular motion.  If you are sharpening a hoe or shovel the same process is needed. If you have access to a grinder you can sharpen tools with this equipment.

• sharpening stone
• metal file
• vise
• heavy grit sandpaper
• grinder
• mineral oil

Best garden planners

To help you organize your garden area for best results it is important to map them out to calculate the space required for each plant and to keep track of future crop rotation.

Best seed companies

See my article on the best seed companies to help you grow the best and most productive garden.  I have put together an extensive list of seed companies to supply all parts of the U.S. Canada and throughout the world.

How to start seeds indoors

Seed starting should be about 6-8 weeks prior to your last frost date, it is a good idea to find the best time to plant your garden by knowing your expected last frost date (This can vary so don’t take the date as the exact day but check the 7-10 day outlook for your local area).  Follow seed packets for depth to plant seeds.  Be sure to keep them watered!

When starting seeds indoors be sure your light is on for at least 12-16 hours for best results.

Essential items for starting seeds indoors.

• Organic high-quality seed starting mix (See my recommendations)
• Grow light with a timer
• pods for seeds
• Tray with Dome
• Heat Mat

I hope that this list of winter projects will entice you to take on some of them and if you have others please share with me.