Mid winter is a great time to review or
draft your garden plans and to order the seeds and plants you’ll
need to make them a reality. Consider what worked well for you last
year and what didn’t. Browse catalogs and websites, attend garden
and home shows for ideas, but make sure the ideas are appropriate for
our area and your specific site conditions. If you don’t know
where to start, or are overwhelmed by the seemingly daunting task,
consider hiring a professional. It is worth the money in saved
frustrations and headaches alone.
Check your stores of supplies: containers,
potting soil, mulch, markers, insect barriers, frost blankets, etc.
and replenish as needed.
If you stored tubers, roots or corms, check
them for soft spots or mold and compost those showing damage.
If you start your own seedlings take some
time to disinfect containers, inspect heat mats, replace grow lights
as needed and set up your planting schedule based on your last
average frost date. If you start your vegetables from seedlings set
up your transplant schedule, also based on your last average frost
date. Look for seeds and plants that are grown organically and/or
locally for the best ecological results.
If you’d
like a taste of spring a bit early, cut budded branches from fruit
trees and spring blooming shrubs like pussy willow and forsythia and
bring them inside. Place your cuttings in a vase with water and
enjoy the flowers a just a few weeks. For more detailed instructions
see the UNH Cooperative Extension document:
http://extension.unh.edu/FHGEC/docs/sprngblb.htm
Some of my
favorite resources for the above tasks:
Fine
Gardening http://www.finegardening.com/
Organic
Gardening http://www.organicgardening.com/
Mother Earth
News http://www.motherearthnews.com/
Gardener’s
Supply Company http://www.gardeners.com/
Johnny’s
Selected Seeds http://www.johnnyseeds.com/
Fedco Co-op
Garden Supplies http://www.fedcoseeds.com/
New Roots
Farm (vegetable seedlings) http://www.newrootsfarm.com/
Happy Gardening,
Patty Laughlin, NHCLP, AOLCP
Owner/Head Gardener
Lorax Landscaping
Epping, NH
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