The cold has lasted much longer than expected this year and the energy that I would be spending on gardening outdoors and direct sowing has me pacing in the house! Below is a list of garden to-dos that I’m currently doing and do every year toward the end of winter when it feels like spring just won’t come. 

 To-Do #1: Seed Selection

Are you sure you have all that you need? I know I can always use another pack of seeds. I usually take a look at my inventory and see what new areas of the garden I need to challenge myself in. Those are the seeds that I start shopping for. I also like to shop for gifts off-season and if I know there is another gardener looking to develop their collection I keep them in mind as well. 

To-Do #2: Space Planning

What type of space are you working with? If you gardened in ground last year you’ll need to be mindful of how long one crop has been growing in a certain spot. Garden crops get their nutrients from the soil and too many years in a row can deplete soil and lead to underdeveloped crops. A system of intentionally rotating crops to balance out what they deplete is called “crop rotation” and that is another post for another day. Also, each year I try to make a note of what crops did not do well in a certain area and I make a point to test a few of those plants in a different spot. This little testing trick is not limited to in ground or raised bed gardens. Even your plants in containers gardens can be moved around to a new location to see how they perform. 

To-Do #3: Seed Sorting 

I was at a plant swap when another gardener showed us her seed book. Yup! A whole binder with her seeds in it. After seeing that inspo I got right into designing my own. Previously my seeds were kept in two different, very adorable boxes. One was a tin box from Target meant to hold seed packets. The other was a mini sized floral print photo box that held seeds packets perfectly. Now I use both boxes for other garden items that are on the smaller side. Back to seed sorting. Now that I have my seeds in a notebook I like to keep them in a certain order. Veggies are up first and then fruits. Herbs have their own section as well as flowers. In their own sections, all four seed categories are in alpha order. This might seem like a bit much but you wait for the next extra cold and long winter to come around.

To-Do #4: Seed Starting 

 Ah, yes. By far the most exciting prep work for a gardener. Actually getting the process started! If you live in an area that has winter, you’ll need to know your gardening zone for this one. It is so fun to get a head start on the gardening season by starting plants indoors. You need to know the estimated last frost date. What you don’t want is what I have done in the past. You don’t want seedlings that are ready too soon. They’re ready for the sun and warmth during the day and night. But if it’s still cold, you won’t have that. If you start your seedlings indoors too soon and those babies start to sprout past an inch or so they need warmth and sun. If it’s still cold out they’ll die from the frosty temps outside and not enough sun indoors causes them to get too tall and thin to support themselves, something we call “leggy”. Ugh, I know. Quick fix, know your zone, pay attention to the weather on the news. Most seeds will have the appropriate start date on the back of their packet and you’ll need to look up the usual last frost date for your area.  Let me know if you have any questions. This a great seedling starter kit to get you going!

Trust the process!