Winter Blues? 5 Ways to Ease Into the Gardening Off Season
It’s that time of year in upstate New York. Temperatures are dropping as fast as the leaves and days are noticeably shorter. While it’s nearly impossible to ignore the beauty of the foliage reaching its peak color, it’s just as difficult to ignore the cold stretch looming around the corner.
The change in seasons can bring out the winter blues in anyone, but the feelings are often intensified for gardeners who are left with a void as the growing season draws to an end.
Luckily, there are some ways to ease your way in.
Plant a Transitional Garden
One of the easiest ways to prolong your growing season is by planting a variety of vegetables that will be harvested at different times. Peppers are a great choice because although planted in early spring along with other vegetables like tomatoes, they take longer to bear fruit. Once your tomato plants show the first signs of slowing down, it’ll be time for your pepper plants to take their rightful place on your table. But beware: peppers are heat loving plants and are very sensitive to the cold. The plants will wilt at the first sign of frost, so make sure to harvest any lingering fruit to prevent a ruined crop.
Lettuce and other leaf vegetables are a great choice to plant late in the season due to their quick harvest times. Choose a handful of seed varieties that have a low number of “days to maturity” and boast resistance to cold temperatures. Some cold hardy spinach varieties are known to stay crisp and tender long after the first frost and stay so even under a coat of snow. Arugula is another great addition to your transitional garden and can add some much needed freshness to your plate throughout late fall. It earned its nickname “rocket” from its impressively quick growing rate and ability to sprout within just five days of planting.
Take It Indoors
Once you’ve accepted that all good things come to an end and your days of outdoor gardening are temporarily over, it’s time to take your green thumb indoors. Fresh herbs are greatly missed in the off season, and there is nothing more heartbreaking than paying $3.99 for herbs you had in your backyard all summer. Remedy this by bringing them inside. Herbs such as rosemary and basil are easily propagated from cuttings. Within a relatively short amount of time you can have new plant growing on your windowsill. Simply place the cuttings in water for a few weeks until they begin to grow roots, then plant them in some potting soil and watch them take off. Remember: while basil cuttings will sprout roots within a few weeks, rosemary cuttings can take up to a few months to get started- so be patient.
Another way to bring your green thumb indoors is by expanding your house plant collection. House plants are a great way to breathe life into every room year round. If you are already an avid “house planter”, consider taking on a new variety or finding larger home for some of the rootbound plants you already have. Hesitant about indoor plants? You’re not alone. Many outdoor gardeners are unsure of their ability to keep plants alive without the help of Mother Nature. Keep an eye out for low maintenance species such as spider and snake plants that tolerate (and even thrive on) neglect.
Get A jump start on Next Year
When all else fails, spend some time getting yourself ready for a successful upcoming season.
Come spring, you’ll want to be focused on your actual garden- not on cleaning up your potting shed. Once your garden has been officially closed for the season, prepare your beds for the long winter ahead. Supplement your soil with organic fertilizer such as manure and cover with a thick layer of mulch like leaves or straw. This will replenish your soil with much needed nutrients for the upcoming growing season while blocking out weeds that will be eager to sprout at the first sign of spring. The warm snaps throughout the winter, though few and far between, are a great time to rebuild any raised beds that might need tending to, fix holes in your fencing, and to create an overall plan of action for spring.
Take time to start or update your gardening journal. Map out next years garden and decide what are you going to plant and where. Go over what worked for you this past year and what didn’t while it’s fresh in your mind. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes and do some research on everything from pruning and maintenance to soil and sun requirements. While it’s impossible to avoid all gardening mistakes, you can certainly avoid at least a few with a little winter research.
Light at the End of the Tunnel
As hard as it is watching your garden turn from green to brown, there’s something beautiful in knowing that it’s only temporary- like everything else in life.
While it’s tempting to be envious of those who enjoy more moderate climates and year round harvests, the change of seasons gift us a natural break and allows our excitement to be renewed come spring- which will be back before we know it.
“If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant.”