Winter Garden Tasks - Frugal Gardening

Even if you are not growing a winter garden, you can still do plenty of winter garden tasks.

Winter garden chores can be split into planning and chores.

Planning

Winter is an excellent time to plan your next year’s garden. Planning your garden is split to into these steps.

Inventory

Before you list things you want to grow, you should organize what you have. This includes seeds, fertilizers, soil amendments, pest/fungus control products, stakes, tape, watering equipment, seed starting equipment, etc.

Planning and prepping for your garden will be much easier and more precise when you have all this information.

Knowing precisely what you have will help you save time and money by preventing last-minute trips to the store or buying too much of one product.

Goals

Using your inventory, you can list what you’d like to grow.

It is a good idea to draw out how your garden will look to double-check spacing needs.

This will prevent you from buying too many plants or seeds.

Winter Garden Chores

Winter garden chores will help you prepare for spring planting by ensuring your soil and tools are in prime condition.

Soil Test

In the early winter, test your soil for nutrients and pH.

That way, you have the ability to amend your soil with proper timing for it to acclimate without being a hazard to your plants. Things like agricultural lime and certain fertilizers must be applied several months before you plant in the soil to give the amendments time to break down into concentrations that won’t harm plant roots.

Brush Removal

Winter is a great time to remove any remaining brush from your garden.

Doing this will also remove any insects that are overwintering in it and any plants that have fungal or bacterial infections.

This practice contributes to a healthy spring garden.

If you have a safe space, you can burn the brush and then add the ashes back into your soil to boost carbon, potassium, magnesium, and calcium levels.

Garden Tool Maintenance

Use winter downtime to sharpen blades and repair or replace worn tools.

This can include sharpening tiller blades, shovels, spades, and other cutting tools. It also includes oiling trimmers and other tools.

Amend your Soil

You can amend your soil in several ways during the winter to ensure it is ready for spring planting.

Compost

Adding compost in the winter will give it time to break down in the soil. This means the nutrients will be available immediately when you plant in the spring.

Mulch

Consider covering your garden with pine needles or fallen leaves. It will help keep the soil warm, protect any present roots, and prevent weeds from growing.

Then in the spring, you can just till them into the soil, and they will act as fertilizer.

Conclusion

Winter is a perfect time to get some organization and planning done. And it is the best time to get your soil in tip-top shape and ensure your tools are in excellent condition.

What winter garden tasks do you do?

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