Many of us are impatient to get out into the garden and start growing. But we have at least a few weeks before the growing season begins, especially in our colder microclimates. Here are some tasks to keep our hands occupied that feel like gardening -- long before we dare put the first seeds or new plants outside. Not all of these are relevant to every garden or gardener. But working on just one or two can jump start your gardening year.
1 - Buying or gathering up seeds -- an obvious choice and the most tempting when those seed catalogs arrive in your January mailbox! You can purchase seeds online or from a local shop, but a less expensive approach is to check the Grow Flagstaff! Seed Library, maintained by the Coconino Master Gardeners Association at the USDA Cooperative Extension office here in Flagstaff. There鈥檚 also a smaller seed library offered at the East Flagstaff Public Library on 4th Street. Simply looking at the array of species and varieties offered in these local seed libraries might convince you to try something you haven鈥檛 before.
2 - Planning your garden layout. Of course, wiser heads would do this first, before buying seeds! I enjoy sitting down with pencil and paper, looking back at what grew where last year and trying out arrangements for the coming season. I pay special attention to rotating crops among my raised vegetable beds. One should decide how much space to devote to salad greens vs warm season crops, or whether you have room to tuck in some flowers for pollinators.
3 - Sowing wildflower and native perennial seeds. These should be sown outdoors where you hope they will grow. Ideally you scatter them and rake them into the soil surface of your landscape just before snow, so they receive both the cold temperatures and the moisture they will need to break dormancy. I have seeds from my own yard as well as some from the Seed Library on hand waiting for our next round of precipitation.
4 - Preparing seed starting space and supplies. My setup is squeezed into a corner of my small home office. I check the grow-light bulbs (replacing any that are no longer bright). Plastic or cardboard seedling cell trays, seed starting soil mix, and a liquid fertilizer for seedlings should be acquired ahead of time.
5 - Cleaning up your greenhouse or tool shed. I know last fall I lacked the discipline for putting everything away! On a sunny day I will go out to the greenhouse (which doubles as my potting shed and storage space) and sort through the chaos. It鈥檚 time to get rid of outmoded items and make sure I have plenty of growing room and workspace.
6 - Cleaning and sharpening tools. I confess, I went many years without paying much attention to dulled edges or rusty spots on my trowels, shovels, and other tools. But one year, inspired by a video and a Master Gardener talk, I spent part of a winter afternoon attending to my old, battered tools. It was very satisfying -- and it鈥檚 amazing how much better everything worked with sharpened edges. Now this is an enjoyable annual ritual.
7 - Seed germination tests: Do you have some seed packets from last year, or perhaps some seeds from vegetables or herbs you grew yourself? It is definitely worth a little effort to find out whether those seeds are viable. Take 5 or 10 seeds and place them on a damp paper towel in a plastic bag. Look at them once a day, adding a little water to keep towel and seeds moist. If the seeds are still useful, at least a few will begin to sprout within a week or 10 days. (Note: this often won鈥檛 work with wildflowers, since most have specific cold stratification or other requirements for germination.)
Some of these tasks you tackle on a sunny winter afternoon when it is invigorating to spend a little time outside or in your greenhouse or garden shed and workspace. Some you can do on a wet, cold, windy winter day sitting by the fire! Choosing just one or two of these to do now, while the weather is cold, reminds you that spring is coming -- and it will really pay off when the true growing season starts.