Despite the winter season there’s plenty to keep a gardener occupied.  If you haven’t ordered your garden seeds yet, start by listing seeds leftover from last year.   Then look at the short list of local seed companies that I list below (or any others that you like).  Browse online catalogs from the comfort of home. Don’t delay, the best varieties sell out early.  In this article I suggest a few winter tips and easy-to-do ideas that will make the coming garden season more productive.  If you can’t wait and want to grow something in mid-winter, consider micro-greens or sprouts to have freshly grown salad greens right now.

Winter Garden Tips…

• Repurpose your Christmas tree. Most Christmas trees are down but can still be useful. If you cut or bought locally cut off the boughs and use them for winter mulch protection. The boughs can be laid over perennials, providing some additional protection from desiccating winds.  Place the boughs right on the snow over where the plants are.  Alternatively, if you put the whole tree near small trees or bushes it will provide great winter shelter for small birds on cold windy nights.  Do not burn your tree in your wood stove, the resins can produce a fire hazard in your chimney.

• What can I grow in Vermont winters?  Seed sprouts are very easy, tasty, and a nutritious addition to salads, sandwiches, or as a side dish.  Here is a quick video to help you get started with a homemade sprouter.  I use a simple Bioset sprouting tray from Johnny’s Seeds that keeps fresh sprouts coming in but there are several other types available online.  Seeds for sprouting are offered online by High Mowing Seeds, Johnny’s Seeds, and many other seed companies.  The most common seeds used for sprouting include alfalfa, mung beans, broccoli, radish, kale, etc.  Mixes of these are available and provide great flavor and nutritional diversity.

• There are many good seed sources nationwide but if you prefer to buy locally, as I do, here are some suggestions.

• High Mowing Seed Company  –  Vermont based, all organic seeds, great selection.
• FEDCO Seeds  –  based in Maine, good seeds, supplies, & tools, lower prices.
• Johnny’s Selected Seeds  –  based in Maine, organic & non-organic seeds, huge selection
• Vermont Bean Seed Company – beans, vegetables, fruits, and more.
• Vermont Wildflower Farm – wildflowers, perennials, bulbs, and veggies.
• Maine Potato Lady  –  specialize in potatoes & onions

• Caring for Poinsettias. Remove the decorative pot cover to allow drainage. Place your plant in a location with bright light (6 hours/day, or more) and temperatures between 60-70^oF.  Allow poinsettias to dry between watering but not wilt. The plant is ready to be watered when the soil is dry to the touch and, when the pot and plant are lifted, it will feel relatively light.  One of the most common issues with poinsettias is root rot, so avoid over-watering by letting the soil dry out thoroughly in between watering.  Given favorable conditions the colorful flowers (bracts) will retain their color through the winter and the plant will grow over summer to become a flowering plant again next winter.

• Too early to fertilize.  House plants can begin to look very tired and weak at this time of year but resist the temptation to give them fertilizer.  It’s best to not stimulate new upper growth until day length gets longer and plants can grow stronger. If your plants have become too tall or lanky due to low light levels, they can be pruned back now in preparation for the new grow phase that will begin when day length gets over 10 hours/day (late Feb.).  Don’t be shy with your pruning shears.  Removing 30-50% of the tops will stimulate the roots to re-grow strong new shoots for the spring.  Even outdoor plants brought indoors like geraniums, fuchsia, petunias, and begonias will respond well to this pruning.

• Got Bugs?  Inspect your indoor plants regularly for any signs of small bugs such as aphids or white flies. They get started slowly but can built up fast when tender new growth (triggered by fertilization) appears on the plants.  Both can be easily removed with finger wiping & squishing or with a cool (not cold!) shower while the plant is held sideways.  After the plant leaves have dried apply insecticidal soap spray or neem oil weekly.  Spray all the plant leaves, top and bottom, to control them.  Do this spraying in the shower or bathtub to avoid getting soap residues on your windows or furniture. Amazing Fact:  Baby aphids are born pregnant so they increase in numbers very fast so repeated treatments every week or two may be essential.  Got scale?  Scrape off the hard adults with your fingernail and then wipe the whole leaves off with an alcohol soaked cloth to get rid of any young “crawlers”. If you find a leaf heavily covered with scales cut it off and dispose of outdoors.

• Birdhouses can serve as temporary shelters during winter storms.  Leave last summer’s nesting materials inside to provide some comfort for birds seeking refuge.  Clean them out thoroughly after the last winter storms have passed.

• Young fruit trees and shrubs become winter food for hungry deer and rabbits so now is a good time to apply a repellent such as Deer Away, Plantskydd, or your own homemade deer repellent to the smaller branches and stems.  Be sure to coat the tips completely and re-apply every 4 weeks to prevent deer and rabbits from chewing tender new stems and tips.  A visual inspection now will help prepare for pruning that we do in January-February.

• De-icers can damage nearby plants from runoff.  Most deicers are salts, some worse than others. Sodium & Calcium chloride are the most toxic to plants.  Potassium chloride and magnesium chloride have less potential to damage plants, but it is still possible, especially with overuse. Use as little as possible for safety.  Calcium magnesium acetate (CMA) is another option that is often used in environmentally sensitive areas. Consider using plain sand that improves traction instead of salts for melting.

• Keep on Composting!  No reason to stop now.  Bears should be hibernating!  Sure, the compost pile/bin is frozen solid, but so what?    Keep adding your kitchen scraps (egg shells, coffee grounds, paper napkins, etc.) so that come spring your compost will be well fed and ready to become active.

“Hang in there, within 4 weeks the maple sap will be flowing.  Within 6 weeks, the earliest migratory birds will begin to arrive.  Within 8 weeks, the early spring wildflowers will emerge from the Earth.  You will feel the warm sun on your face again.”  ~ Nick Stow