In the dead of winter, I start my winter garden preparations. It may be because I’m so tired of being cold, but whatever the reason, it gives me time to think through my garden plans.
Learning to garden can be tricky, but it’s worth the extra effort.
The following link is to my simple steps to starting a garden.
You may want to start with this if you have never gardened before.
It will give you enough information regarding weather conditions in your area, the placement of your garden, the type of dirt you will need, and plants that do well there.
Starting garden preparation in the winter will give you a head start in the spring and make those long months a little more bearable!
To begin garden preparations, you must know about your growing season and gardening zones.
In different places, you will have longer or shorter growing seasons.
If you have a short growing season, you will probably want to start some of your plants inside.
If you have a long growing season, it may not be vital for you to start plants inside.
Here is a link to find that information:
This information is essential because you will need to know when to start your seedlings inside if that is what you need to do.
After that, you must consider which plants you want to grow.
Some plants need a longer growing season to develop and supply food.
As you research the types of food you want to grow, you will usually find information about the growing season you will need on the seed envelope, in online news from the store, or in a magazine.
I often buy Gurneys, Burpees, or Seed Saver seeds.
Seeds can come in individual packages or a gardening collection that includes your needs.
Here is a link to Seed Savers Exchange.
Please consider planting a little extra for chicken food if you have chickens. I give my chickens some sunflower heads from my garden in the fall and freeze extra veggies for the winter.
You must decide which plants you will start inside and when you want to start them.
Some plants will do better being placed outside as seeds when the ground is warm enough. These include lettuce, carrots, potatoes, and peas.
Other plants, such as tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and cabbage, do better with an early start.
Where will you start them?
Finding a south-facing window and a warm and protected place is vital for sprouting the seeds.
Review how many seeds and plants you will need.
It’s easy to plant way too much. I have bags of squash from two years ago in the freezer. It’s great for chicken feed in the winter, but I underestimated how much squash one plant can produce.
After thirty-eight bags of squash, the kids were revolting!
I’m learning it’s better to limit your seedlings to enough and give those seedlings enough room, dirt, and light.
Those seedlings will become vigorous, healthy plants that provide the necessary food.
The last thing you will want to consider is how you will start the plants.
Here are a couple of YouTube videos that do a great job of explaining the basic steps to start the seeds inside:
I usually start my plants in a south-facing window, which works okay. But they need a lot of sunlight, or they can get leggy. This means they grow taller with thinner stems because they are trying to reach the sunlight. I will try some grow lights this spring and see how that goes.
There are a few suggestions I have for starting seeds inside:
- Use a container large enough for a sound root system. I live in the Mountain West and must start many plants early. They need time and space to develop good roots.
- Choose good dirt to start the seedlings.
3. After your seeds have germinated, place a soft-blowing fan near them. This will help to harden and strengthen their stems
4. Make sure you have enough heat and light. They need 14-16 hours of light and typically need the temperature to be 70 to 80 degrees.
5. Take your plants outside for a few hours each day to acclimate them slowly before you plant them in the ground.
To sum up, getting an early start on your garden can make a difference in your garden’s success. And let’s face it. It helps you with those winter blues!
