4 Things to do in January to Get This Year’s Garden Off to a Good Start
Gardening in January looks a lot like doing the things around the garden that you don’t have time for the rest of the year. Gardening is a lot of work, and while we’re working hard – planting, fertilizing, managing pests, and harvesting – our big garden plans often get pushed to the back burner. A gardener’s work never really ends. There’s always more to learn and do! So take a step back and really evaluate your yard. Get some ideas together, and start working towards the garden of your dreams!
1. Try out winter sowing.
Winter sowing is a technique the involves planting seeds outdoors in winter to give them a head start in spring.
To do so, simply plant seeds in a clear container and leave them outside. Seeds will come up in spring and you can then transplant them into the garden.
This process mimics the way plants re-seed in nature – dropping seeds to the ground for them to sprout the following spring. There are some seeds that even need to experience cold, damp conditions, either because they have hard shells that are softened by the freezing and thawing or because they are triggered by the change in temperature to sprout. This is called stratification.
To learn more about winter sowing and how you can do it yourself, watch the video below and watch for our upcoming blog post with full written directions.
Source: Garden Answer
2. Look at wins and failures from last year.
- Is it time for a makeover?
- What did you not like this past season?
- Anything overgrown or under-performing?
Think about what worked, what you liked, and what maybe didn’t work as well as you wished. Make a list and use it in planning this year’s garden.
3. Organize your seeds.
Go through the seeds you already have. This will…
- help you figure out what you still need to get to make your 2022 garden complete.
- keep you from buying seeds you may already have.
Consider plants you might want to try growing and buy those seeds now or plan on purchasing starter plants in the near future.
4. Make a plan.
Use winter as a time to get those creative juices flowing. Put pen to paper and begin to plan for next year. Make notes about this year’s garden while it’s still fresh in your mind and decide how you can improve upon it for the next.
If you’re looking to make larger changes to your yard, it’s best to start now to ensure you have time to work with your designer to plan and build out your new yard features before you want to enjoy it this spring.
Yard structures to plan out now:
- pathways
- retaining walls
- outdoor kitchen
- fire pits and fire places
- patios
- new garden beds
Looking to enhance your yard? Get in touch with us today. We’ll schedule a time for you to meet with one of our landscape designers to discuss the yard of your dreams!