Winter Gardening
Snowy gardening with winter squash, snow peas and iceberg lettuce.
Winter in Central New York can be loooong! We’re eager to get our gardens up and growing, but the snow will be around for another couple months! What’s a gardener to do in mid-winter?! The good news is we can prep for the gardening season even as the snow falls!
Inside your home, herbs (parsley, chives, thyme, or oregano) can be started or transplanted and grown near a window that receives at least 4-6 hours of sun each day. Plant them in an indoor pot or a few herbs can be planted in one long narrow box on your windowsill. Keep the soil moist but not too wet and allowing the soil to dry out between watering.
Organize your seed packets by seed starting date, and check to make sure your seeds are still viable. Plan out which vegetables, herbs and flowers you want to grow and start your seed shopping list!
Your hand and power tools need attention too. Hand tools need to be cleaned, oiled, and organized. Power tools such as trimmers, chainsaws, and lawn mowers also need to be cleaned, drained of any oil or gas that they might contain, and covered.
Replace mulch around any plant crowns that have been exposed by frost heaves.
Continue to inspect trees and shrubs for bark damage. If you find any, you most likely have a problem with voles, rabbits, or deer and need to take action.
Clean crusty clay pots by adding one cup each of white vinegar and household bleach (use ½ as much concentrated bleach) to a gallon of warm water and soak the pots. For heavily crusted pots, scrub with a steel wool pad after soaking for 12 hours.
Mid-winter is a great time to think about the birds. In addition to keeping the feeders full, you can attract them to your yard and garden next spring by building a birdhouse now.
If you want to grow your own celery, leek, or onion transplants, February is the time to start them because these slow growers need several months before they are ready to set out. This also is the time to start small-seeded flowers such as begonias and petunias
Although we certainly love winter with all the fun snow activities and quiet puzzling time that comes along with the deep cold, we can’t help but look towards our Spring vegetable gardens with boundless enthusiasm!
