Tips to Prepare for Your Spring Garden this Winter

There’s something magical about planning your garden while winter winds howl outside. Instead of viewing the cold months as downtime, smart gardeners know winter is a great time to prepare for a bountiful growing season. Let’s explore how to make the most of this planning period.

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Diving Into Seed Catalogs

.Winter brings a delightful influx of seed catalogs, each page filled with possibility. Nothing brings me more joy then curling up with my seed catalogs on a cold winter night. I daydream about spring planting.These catalogs offer more than just shopping opportunities – they’re valuable research tools. Study plant descriptions carefully, noting growing requirements, days to maturity, and disease resistance. Create a wishlist but its a good idea to stay realistic about your garden space and growing conditions.

Some other considerations that I’ve learned from now going on my third year of starting plants from seed is that you need to be realistic about how many plants you can start from seeds. My space is limited to one rack so I’m pretty picky about what and how many seeds I start in the house. 

I’ve also found the while giving some seeds a head start in the house is great, there are many that do just find planting them directly in your garden after your last frost date. 

Organizing Your Seed Collection

Before ordering new seeds, take inventory of what you have:

• Check expiration dates on old seed packets
• Test germination rates of older seeds
• Sort seeds by planting date
• Create a spreadsheet or use a garden planning app to track your inventory
• Store seeds in a cool, dry place (I keep mine in my laundry room. It’s cool and dry space in our house)

Planning Your Garden Layout

Winter is an ideal time for thoughtful garden planning:

• Review last year’s successes and challenges (I keep a garden journal)
• Rotate crop locations to prevent soil depletion and help with plant diseases
• Map out companion planting combinations
• Consider succession planting schedules
• Plan for vertical growing spaces
• Design new garden beds or expansion areas

Starting Seeds Indoors

Getting an early start with indoor seed starting can extend your growing season
significantly:

• Calculate when to start different varieties based on your last frost date
• Gather supplies: growing lights, seed starting mix, containers, labels
• Set up a dedicated growing area
• Monitor temperature and moisture levels
• Plan your hardening off schedule for your new plants

Equipment Assessment and Maintenance

Use this downtime to evaluate and maintain your gardening tools:

• Clean and sharpen pruning shears, shovels, and hoes
• Repair or replace broken garden tools 
• Oil wooden handles to prevent splitting
• Check hoses for leaks and replace damaged ones
• Repair or replace broken trellises and stakes
• Service power equipment like tillers and mowers
• Inventory supplies like fertilizers, pest controls, deer repellants and soil amendments

Infrastructure Projects

In late winter when you start to have some nicer days, it’s the perfect time for tackling structural improvements:

• Repair raised beds
• Build new compost bins
• Install or repair irrigation systems
• Plan new pathways or garden structures
• Design and build a cold frame or greenhouse additions

This is an area that we have several big projects on our to-do list.

I have big plans for my greenhouse that I hope to start in late winter/early spring. While the kit greenhouse has served me well for many years, we are planning to take it down to the base and rebuild it with reclaimed windows and doors. I want it to not only be functional but also beautiful. With what I have planned I will have more flexibility to use the greenhouse in cold weather and house plants in the colder months.

Our chicken coop also is in desparate need of some maintenance. We plan to start a new flock in the spring and we need to replace some rotted wood and paint the whole coop. I also want to clean out the run area and plant a few things that will provide shade for our chicks.

Soil Preparation

Even in winter, you can improve your soil:

• Get a soil test done
• Order amendments based on test results
• Start or maintain a compost pile
• Cover empty beds with mulch or cover crops
• Plan crop rotation based on soil needs

We have both several compost bins. One in our vegetable garden where we throw the plant debris and dead plant material from the vegetable plants. We also have a compost bin behind our greenhouse and that is where we put everything from the kitchen that we can compost along with dead leaves, dead plants from the flower beds, and grass clippings from the lawn mower bag. Never put diseased plants especially ones with fungal diseases in your compost. 

We use the lush organic matter that we get from our compost bins onto our spring garden to help amend the soil. 

Educational Preparation

Use indoor time to increase your gardening knowledge:

• Read gardening books and blogs
• Take online gardening courses
• Join local gardening groups
• Attend virtual gardening workshops
• Research new growing techniques

Looking Ahead

Winter is an excellent time to connect with other gardeners:

• Join seed exchanges
• Participate in gardening forums
• Plan group orders for supplies
• Share knowledge and experiences
• Organize tool-sharing networks

I joined our local Citizens for Conservation last year and they have so many resources and information. They also have a huge native plant and tree sale in the spring and I buy some of my perennial plants and shrubs at the sale.

Conclusion

Remember, successful gardens don’t happen by accident – they’re the result of careful planning and preparation. Use these winter months wisely, and you’ll be rewarded with a more productive and enjoyable garden when spring arrives. By taking care of these tasks now, you’ll be ready to hit the ground running when the weather warms up. My perennial plants are ever changing in their beds and from notes I took in the late summer last year it helps me with my to-do list for early spring. I have a lot of plants that need to be moved, divided, or given to a new home this coming spring. When the garden plants are still small in the spring, it’s a good time to do these chores. 

If you’re just beginning the gardening journey, start small. It can be overwhelmed if you try to do too much. Even accomplishing a few of these preparatory tasks will put you ahead of the game come spring. The key is to make steady progress while maintaining your enthusiasm for the growing season ahead. 

Now is the best time of year to start dreaming and preparing for those beautiful blooms and bountiful harvests!

Peace and Love,