Seed & Trellis

Plan: January is seed catalog month! Pour over new catalogs that arrive in the mail, make a list of new seeds, and place your order. Inventory your existing seeds, and compost any that are too old to sow. Make a master plan of your garden. Plan for your new garden spaces. Observe the changing light patterns that winter brings

Maintain: Take stock of all your garden tools — make necessary repairs, sharpen blades, and oil moving parts. Clean and organize your seed starting supplies, and be sure you have enough seed-starter mix on hand for when your seeds arrive. Use a lightweight row cover to protects crops, and be at the ready to cover tender garden plants in case of freeze.

Outdoors: Zones 9-10 can purchase seed potatoes and chit them for spring planting.

Indoors: Gather your indoor seed starting equiptment and set everything up. Gather your seed packets and get them ready. Order any replacement items to restock for seed starting.

Plan: Continue plans for this year’s garden — new plants to try, seeds to sow, and tools to trial. Speaking garden plans, February is a great month to look at your soil. Consider starting a composting bin or vermicomposting.

Maintain: Order soil testing kits and look into composting and mulching your gardens. Prune, feed and mulch roses. Prune fruit trees and spray/remove pest/disease issues. Wrap trees with a sticky ant cuff to prevent honeydew farming ants.

Outdoors: Start taking a thermometer to test your soil temperature and and measure your soil ph levels. Start to feed your citrus trees and foliar spray.

Inspect your irrigation and make sure you are always testing your soil with the finger test before watering your plants. If its’ wet 2 knuckles down, do not water. Always turn off your irrigation if it is due to rain in the next 24-48 hrs. Thin any fruit on the trees.

Indoors: Prep warm-season planting areas for March. Start to find sources for soil, mulch, compost and amendments. Order trellises and supports for your climbers.

Plan: Trees are budding and gardeners are itching to work the soil and start planting. Notes significant weather events in your journals and install rain barrels if you haven’t already.

Maintain: Monitor for pest and disease. Usually aphids start to appear about this time of year. Spray off with a strong hose. Control weeds and refresh mulch. Add that compost and mulch if you didn’t get to it back in Feb.

Outdoors: Plant daisies, marigolds, petunias, and snapdragons for early season color. Get any left over cool season plants in the ground now for onw last round before it gets too warm. Assess all your climbing plants and refer back to your plant plans. Install any last minute trellises and any necessary supports.

Indoors: If you started seeds of peppers, tomatoes, and eggplants last month, harden them off by moving them outside a little at a time. They say sow by Valentines Day and transplant by Tax Day. All herbs can go in the garden except basil. Still too early. The ground is still too chilly unless you have row covers to keep any direct seed crops warm.

Plan: April is insanely busy in the garden. Give yourself double the time you normally devote this month. Lots to do! Keep seed packets handly for succession sowing and your liquid fertilizers stocked.

Maintain: Consider starting another batch of compost and maybe look into trying out bokashi to reduce your food waste.

Outdoors: As your garden is waking up, so are the insects that inhabit it. Plan to take a daily tour of your garden to be on the lookout for pesky creatures, and be prepared to take action if necessary. Grab your seed packets

Indoors: Stow your seed packets not in use, update your inventory and continue to update your garden journal with observations, weather notes, and planting times.