-Naomi Austin-
This time of year, as the leaves fall, and the wind’s chill stings our cheeks, a lot of us don’t think about gardening. However, this time of year is ideal for maintenance, planning, and preparations that will pay great dividends come spring planting time!
Tool Care
Your gardening tools get a lot of abuse during planting season! They need care during the winter months to keep them sharp and rust free, especially if you own any of our DeWit heirloom tools or Felco pruners. These tools will last a lifetime (or longer) with just a little bit of care. We recommend first removing any existing rust with a steel wool pad, then sharpening with a file or our Felco Diamond Sharpener. Once this is done, you can then apply mineral oil to them, and store them in your shed or garage to keep them rust-free all winter. Now you’ll be all ready to go when that warm weather return
Books
It’s cold out. Why not kick up your feet and read a book to add to your gardening knowledge base! We have a great selection of gardening books to help you to better understand various planting methods, soil composition and health, common plant ailments and remedies, which crops do best in your area, and when to plant them. We highly recommend the following books to add to your library of winter reads:
Guide to Gardening in the Southeast (Ira Wallace)
The Organic Gardener’s Handbook (Frank Tozer)
Small Space Vegetable Gardens (Andrea Bellamy)
How to Build Your Own Greenhouse (Rodger Marshall)
Starting Seeds (Storey Basics).
Seed Starting and Indoor Gardens
While now may not be the time to start your seeds for outdoor gardening, it is certainly the time to gather the materials you need to get started. We have lots of indoor seed starting options to help you get a jump start in your spring planting, like our seed-starting flat trays and humidomes, NanoDome seed-starting combo kits, and 3 and 4 Tier Indoor Mini Greenhouses. We can help you find what you need to get those herbs and veggies strong a ready for the garden.
For those who want to enjoy homegrown lettuces, spinach, and green leafy herbs year-round, we have great products like the Salad Box Kit! Just add sunshine or some supplementary lighting and there you have it–salad and herbs all year long! Double bonus: no deer, rabbits, caterpillars, or other usual garden pests to eat your delicious greens, and no harsh weather to disturb them.
Indoor growing, both hydroponically and in soil, is a great way to produce your foods with little to no effort and risks. Ask us how to get started when you come by!
Houseplants
Winter is a time when we are forced to bring some outdoor plant inside in order to avoid the harsh weather. Let’s make it easy and set you up for success! We have lots of full-spectrum indoor lighting to give your plants those rays they are missing in the winter months. We also have things like hydroton (place plants on a tray of moistened hydroton for a humid microclimate) and plant misters to keep your plants healthy, humid, and happy throughout the heart of dry, central-heat season.
If you are planning on going away for the holidays, don’t forget to plan for houseplant care while you’re gone. We have some great tools for making sure your plants stay properly watered while you’re away from home, including Plant Nanny spikes (just fill a plastic bottle or wine bottle with water, attach the Plant Nanny Spike, and insert into your plant for the perfect amount of slow-release watering. Blumarine Carrots and full Watering Systems are another great option for gravity-driven self-waterers.
So don’t despair, gardeners, there’s plenty to keep us busy and feeling green (not blue) when it’s cold outside!
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