Skip to content

Winter gardening strategies pay off when weather turns warm

Overwintering plants can give you a running start in the spring.

Yes, I have started my microgreens.

The first lesson is that I should have grown a single variety, rather than the mixed variety. Why? Well, the radishes and sunflower sprouted early and were ready to harvest almost before the smaller varieties started to sprout. I am going to choose sunflowers next. More on this in the next article.

Overwintering geraniums

Geraniums are a beautiful addition to your flower garden. I overwinter about six to eight each year and propagate four or five to plant directly in my flower gardens.

I bring the ones in pots into my sunroom before the first frost; they will probably still be blooming. I check for any garden pests, then trim them down to about 50 per cent, and keep them around 5 C, watering them every month or so.

In January, I propagate new plants to grow in our flower gardens. I cut four- to six-inch portions of green stems, each with a few leaves at the top. I put the ends into a rooting compound and insert them into one or more small containers filled with water. When small rootlets form at the bottom of the stem, I plant each into a small four-inch pot. When frost-free days arrive, I plant the new geraniums directly into my flower garden.

Growing herbs

My favourite herbs are dill, chives, oregano, parsley, and thyme. Dill and chives grow wild and I will harvest as needed in the summer, and dry some for the winter. Chives can be overwintered, and the process is simple. Start with a mixture of garden soil, compost, potting soil and vermiculite. Plant three or four seeds in a five- to eight-inch pot, one pot per herb. Yes, you can plant many herbs in a large pot. I find it is simpler to plant each in their separate pot. Make sure there are drainage holes in the bottom of each pot. To achieve maximum growth, provide at least 10 hours of light from your grow lights. Do not let the soil dry out; water every three days or so. If you have a soil moisture meter, use it to measure the moisture content halfway down the pot. To harvest, cut as much as you need, but do not let the plants grow too large.

Planning for next season

In your planning consider raised beds, as gardening with raised beds is a major time saver. Thinning and weeding can be done at any time, wet or dry. Crop rotation is simple, never planting the same plant in the same area for the following two years. And you won’t walk on your garden, compacting the soil and robbing plant roots of oxygen. Try to get at least 18 inches of soil in each bed.

Crop rotation is important for two reasons. The first is because each plant needs a variety of minerals or trace elements. Planting the same vegetable in a given area, year after year, depletes trace elements and your produce will become inferior. Second, garden pests lay their eggs where they grew up. When the vegetable is planted in a different area, the pests may not find their source of food.

To plan effectively, start with a drawing of your garden. Hang on to each yearly plan so you can check where you planted each vegetable in the past years. Plan to only plant the same vegetable in a given part of your garden once every three years. Also plan to replace soil nutrients each fall with compost.

Like people, plants are individualists. For example, some, such as tomatoes or squash, like it hot with lots of sunlight. Others, such as lettuce, cabbage, or spinach, like it cooler with less sunlight. Potatoes and root vegetables are middle-of-the-road types, needing an average amount of heat and sunlight. All need soil with an abundance of compost.

Have one or more rain barrels and use rainwater to water your plants.

Read up on garden pests and how to keep them in check using methods that do not kill beneficial insects.

Charles is the author of Urban Gardening, Planning to Preserving, a book based on his experience.

push icon
Be the first to read breaking stories. Enable push notifications on your device. Disable anytime.
No thanks