As I sit here writing this watching the frozen flakes settle to the ground and under a snowfall warning, I can’t help but think of my spring gardening projects. No, I haven’t gone coocoo for cocoa puffs…seriously! Every year, those of us who produce at least part of their own food needs to sit down and evaluate their situation and this is the time of year to do it.
Evaluating last year’s successes and failures is a great starting point. Did you grow something that you just can’t bring yourself to eat? As an example, we tried kale last year. While nutritious and hardy, this turned out to be a bitter and vile tasting plant that we will NOT be returning to. There really is no point in growing something you just can’t bring yourself to stuff into your mouth! In truth, we are not eliminating it completely since we are able to tolerate it in small percentages in a mixed green salad. This year, we will have perhaps a couple plants in containers, but that four foot row is a gonner and the space will be used to increase production of other foods that we find more palatable, like rainbow swiss chard.
Cutting back on bumper producers is another way to optimize your space. A few years ago I was gifted 8 or 10 mint plants. Mint makes for a great tea which helps when we get nasty cold viruses. Unfortunately, mint is also quite invasive. Those 8 or 10 plants have expanded to the point where we over produced so much that we didn’t eve bother harvesting last year, having already stored up several year’s worth of tea making leaves. In an effort to reclaim some garden space, we will be digging out those plants this spring, keeping a few in containers and begin fighting them in the garden area. Believe me, the next time someone warns me about a plant being invasive, they will be relegated to planters.
Research, research, research! Every year we try some new things. This year, we are looking at starting some highbush blueberries. A lot of people would buy some plants, plop them into what they believe is a perfect spot, then wonder why they failed. Turns out that blueberries need a slightly acidic soil. When deciding on new endeavors, it pays to research them first. What soil consistency do they need? What about Ph levels? Full sun, or partial shade? Zone hardiness….that one is more important than you think! You may find out that it could take an entire growing season just to adjust your soil to suit a new plant. Google can be your friend here, but don’t discount asking your fellow gardeners if they have any experience. Their failures and successes can make your life much easier.
New projects aren’t always about plants, well not directly anyways. If you are in an area where deer are an issue, you may want to start looking at fencing options, or perhaps getting a compost pile started to help out your soil. Putting in a small fish pond or an indoor aquarium would give you some great nutrients to feed your plants. Projects like these aren’t directly related to plants, but make for great additions for your garden anyways!
Regardless of what you plan on doing in your garden this coming spring, the time is now to start planning, ordering and perhaps starting seeds, looking into greenhouse plans or kits, the list goes on and on. Just because the snow is still falling doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be looking ahead.
