Why You Need to Plan Your Garden during the Winter
Though it is easy to forget about the beauty of a spring and summer garden during the harsh and cold winter months, many gardeners find that the winter season is an excellent time to begin planning the layout of their garden, giving them a head start on the busy spring planting season. Whether you plan on a vegetable garden or a flower garden, here are a few tips to help you use the winter season to your advantage.
Plan on Paper
Newcomers to backyard gardening often do not consider the advantages that planning out a garden on paper can offer. Not only can it be an extremely effective planning tool, but it is a good place to keep gardening notes.
Notes on your garden can be helpful for the next growing season, as they help you remember which varieties did well in your garden and which did not. Few gardeners, particularly amateurs, have the wherewithal to maintain detailed notes during the season, but even making a simple paper graph of your garden during planning can encourage you to keep at least basic notes. Many gardeners create a small paper plot of their available gardening space and use it to chart out which varieties will be planted and where. Plan your garden with consideration to the size of the plants at maturity; overcrowding your garden can reduce airflow, possibly leading to plant diseases.
Consider Timing
An important part of vegetable gardening is timing. For vegetable gardeners, the main growing seasons are early spring, summer, and fall. Crops planted during the wrong season simply will not produce as well. You should plan for early season crops, late-season crops, and main crops. Main crops are planted once in a season and typically take up a great deal of space in your garden. Early season crops will mature quickly, giving you an early harvest during the cooler season. Late season crops are often like the early season crops, as they prefer cooler weather, but they can include a greater variety of root crops than in the spring. The best method is to decide on your main crops and where they will go first (as they will take up the most room), and then plan around those with the remainder of your planned crops.
Companion Planting
When planning your vegetable garden, you should also consider crop rotation and companion planting. Certain vegetables are heavy feeders (corn, cabbage, etc.), so it is best to plant light feeders after them in your garden, and vice versa. Rotating your vegetables can also help stave off disease, making for a healthier garden overall.
You should also consider the benefits of companion planting to keep your plants healthier and ward off pests. For example, many gardeners plant basil along with their tomato plants. Basil can repel mosquitos and flies, and it is also believed to help tomato plants produce greater yields. Carrots are another common companion for tomatoes, as they can help to aerate the soil around the tomato plant’s roots. Tomatoes, in exchange, help provide shade that carrots need to keep cool, and they produce solanine, a natural insecticide.
Slugs commonly feed on lettuce leaves, but you can plant mint among your lettuce plants to keep them away. When growing corn, you can also grow other plants that may need a trellis, like beans, peas, or cucumbers. These types of vining or trailing plants can grow up the corn stalks, eliminating the need for an artificial garden trellis.
Location Concerns
Before planting your garden, you will also need to look at where you plan on placing your garden bed. Consider sun exposure in particular. Vegetable gardens need a minimum of 8 to 10 hours of sunlight every day to produce their best yield. Though they may still grow with less sun exposure, your plants will not produce as much. If you are using a raised bed, be sure to fill it with good quality garden soil, tilling at least 6 to 8 inches below the surface. Using a raised bed can also help ensure that you have a well-drained area. Soil that holds too much water will likely cause poor growth.
Prepare for Your Garden Today
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, gardening at home skyrocketed in popularity in 2020. As a result, some seed producers experienced shortages, and many plants became quite difficult to find. 2021 is also expected to be a popular gardening year, so if you plan on a vegetable garden, be sure to start planning and collecting seeds now!
