Soil Scoop: Winter Edition

Az Cavanaugh - Junior | Columns

Well, it’s winter. Most plants are either dead or dormant; the only signs of plant life in sight is the odd evergreen. There couldn’t possibly be anything for an outdoor gardener to do during this cold, dark season of death, right? Wrong. Completely and utterly incorrect. There are thousands of gardening-related activities to be done outside in the winter months. I’ve picked three of my favorites to share with you.

The first and most obvious thing to do over winter would be to plan out and buy materials for your garden for the spring. This can mean anything from buying new soil and seeds to marking off and setting up an entire plot of land for plant-growing.

Good things to consider are what kind of plants you want, whether you want your plants to be seasonal or grow all year round, and the care and cost requirements of anything you would like to grow. This type of planning can save time and money.

Another thing that can be done is the planting of flora that thrive in colder weather; for example, the Christmas cactus. The Christmas cactus will begin to bloom in mid to late fall and often stays in bloom into the holiday season. You can imagine where it gets its name.

The Christmas cactus’ care requirements are minimal: its pot doesn’t need to be very big as long as it drains well, and it can be planted in generic planting soil. It is best kept outdoors in bright but indirect sunlight and watered when the soil feels dry. Overall, it’s a delightful plant to have, and I would absolutely recommend it.

My final suggestion is primarily aimed at those of you who enjoy growing your own food. There are a number of edibles that can be planted in the winter and harvested throughout, such as kale, spinach, lettuce, leeks, onions, potatoes, and many others.

Care instructions vary from plant to plant, but can easily be found online or at places such as Johnson’s Nursery. Bear in mind that growing food can be rather tricky, so be prepared for a bit of a challenge.

Overall, despite the fact that most of the floral world is dormant during our winter season, there are still plenty of fun things to do. As always, I wish you luck in your gardening endeavors. Happy holidays.