In the beauty of the winter grays, my eye longs for the colors of spring. ~Brenda Crawford
January can be a downer for me as a gardener. I look out my window and see yuck. Here in Ohio, it's mud covered in frost then, as the day goes on, just mud. It has been a warm winter and too much rain. I long for the clean snow of Wisconsin.. sort of. :)
But wait! I see the mailbox glowing like a beacon.. the mailman delivered the first seed catalog! With much excitement, I drool over the pages and my vision out the window changes to what could be in the spring and I'm full speed ahead with planning. (I must have had it bad because as soon as the first catalog came, my husband got online and gifted me a certificate to them for Christmas! Such a good man!)
Before the weather clears, there are a few things I do to prepare for the wonderful spring days:
| Prune dormant tress and bushes. | |||||||||
| Now is a great time to drastically prune the burning bushes. | |||||||||
| Inventory seeds | |||||||||
| Enjoy the catalogs and start making lists | |||||||||
| Join seed/plant swap and gardening groups on Facebook | |||||||||
| Look back over the garden journal and evaluate what worked and what didn't | |||||||||
| Research solutions for troubles had in 2021 (pests, fungus, production) | |||||||||
| Sharpen blades of gardening tools and oil to prevent rust | |||||||||
| Look over fruit and flowering trees for signs of burrs or growths. | |||||||||
| Remove and do not compost. Burn cuttings and disinfect tools after each tree. | |||||||||
In addition to the above list, I have also been out cleaning weeds from beds. We have standing water in much of our yard, so where I can kneel is limited. I have never before pulled weeds in December, but better now than after they multiply even more!!
If you use Preen, the earlier you can apply it the better. Because we have such warm weather, I have put down a new application. Preen keeps seeds from germinating, so DON'T USE IN PLACES YOU WANT PLANTS TO RESEED!!
I love the anticipation of the new growing season. Let me know how you prepare, and come back for more gardening tips.
Happy Gardening!!
Brenda Crawford
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