Winter work; it is the planning and foundational grunt work of the year and now is the time to begin!
Our first ice storm is descending upon us tomorrow, and finally finally we will have a break from the garden. That is, for about two days. Then the seed starting begins!
Overwintered brussel sprouts and winter greens are tucked in under plastic high tunnels, and cover crop covers the rest of the ground. But while actual maintenance is not required, this is when the brainstorming, next year prep and new additions come into action.
Winter Brainstorming
We are still in the thick of toddler rearing and the idea of continual attention toward invasive grass, weeds and pests exhausts me. Yes, currently, just thinking about it. A rainstorm during our first year gardening created a flood, requiring a berm (read more here) and left us with areas of grass that half to be pushed mowed. On top of that, there hasn’t been much barrier between garden and grass (ie: invasive johnson, crab and bermuda grasses) to spare us from having to weed-whack right up against our garden border. The spray of grass and weeds have been frustrating to say the least.
Our long term goal for the area is to streamline the amount of repetitive work that needs to be done in our garden area.
This means:
- Laying a weed preventative barrier cloth between our berm and garden, and around our entire garden plot.
- Replacing cardboard and mulch under walkways and our concrete rock borders, and removing grass as we go.
- Removing the mulched walkways between our 3 beds to reduce weeds and increase square footage in the garden, slightly.
- Determining how to be rid of ants in our organic garden beds (!!!)
We have already contributed nearly seven hours of moving stone borders, chopping out bermuda runners and wheelbarrowing away soggy mulch. Did I mention winter is our rainy season?
Next Year Prep
Even though we are two weeks into the new year, I am already behind on my seeding. I am trying out a new seed starting system called “Seedtime”, which is helping me to better strategize my planting dates. In the past, it has been hard to visualize what was going to happen for the year. I had categorized plants by their “days to planting” dates (12 weeks till, 10 weeks till, etc.) but did know closely look at days to maturity or anticipated harvest dates.
This matters because, as a result, we had many empty pockets and mis-planted rows. For example, 10 feet of carrots would be removed from the row by the end of May and one living zucchini plant remained on the end of the row. The row would continue to be weeded and watered but it was too warm to plant new seeds directly and no succession plants had been started to be transplanted.
Seedtime is helping me plant in proper succession to reduce gaps and reduce watering. All in all, there are so many factors to consider when planning the garden:
- Space for seed starting (in trays and up potting)
- Space in the garden for initial spring garden
- Companion planting
- Timing of harvests
- Succession plants/cover crops
New additions
If we weren’t already biting off more than we can chew, fruit trees and bushes are on their way! At Christmas, friends gifted us a pear and peach tree to join our two little persimmons (who have yet to bear fruit). In March, our four raspberry plants and 4 blueberry bushes will arrive and join our small blackberry patch.
Toddlers inhale fruit, and I am beyond giddy to have more at our fingertips. Fruit picking is one of my favorite traditions, marking the passing of time and changing of seasons. April has strawberries, May has blackberries, June has blueberries, and July begins peach season in our area. We are lucky enough to alternate between local u-picks and experienced neighbors with extras.
I know very little about fruit trees at this point. I have feared their planting mostly because it is hard to plant for the future when it is unknown. Fruit trees are for the future. Since I am a beginner, I turn to books first. Secondly, to the neighbor down the road with acres of peach trees… obviously!
Fruit tree books I am reading:
“Fruit trees for every garden” by Orin Martin: the photos are so lovely, it could easily double as a coffee table book. Orin’s methods are slightly unapproachable because his plans assume YOU are developing your orchard anticipating your fruit trees and not receiving them as a Christmas present. Mea culpa.
“The Holistic Orchard: Tree fruits and berries the biological way” by Michael Phillips: In contrast, Michael’s approach has a softer, and more lenient hand toward the beginner orchardist. I also appreciate his insight into berries!
For our blueberries and raspberries, we purchased from Willis Orchard Company and designated that plants be delivered in March. They are the lucky ones to avoid this weekend’s highs in the teens.
This completes the allotted time for dreaming, writing, book thumbing and garden planning. Back to business, friends!
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