Winter List
Garden Clippings for February 20, 2021
What is a gardener to do when it is 20 below?
Keen gardeners actually enjoy winter. We put up our feet, we read all there is to know about gardening, and we dream. Some of those dreams turn into reality when we plan for the spring season.
The winter nap does not last long. In a week it will be the end of February and we can begin planting garden seeds. In the meantime, get started on the following tasks:
Get your seeds. Garden seeds will be in short supply this year, and only early-birds will find everything on their list. If you are a big-time gardener, I recommend shopping directly from a seed catalogue. Veseys, Stokes, Ontario Seed Company, Richters, and William Dam are my favorite suppliers.
Seed display racks at your local garden centre have a complete selection, and supply is replenished continually. Last year the seeds that ran out early were spinach, beans, peas, tomatos, and lettuce.
Pruning. Almost anything can be pruned in the middle of winter. For trees, start by cutting off any limbs that are dead, dying or diseased. Next look for limbs that are crisscrossing or running parallel to other limbs and prune accordingly. Finally, shape the tree as you see fit and thin out to replenish growth.
As long as the weather is cooperative, go ahead and prune evergreens and foundation plantings. Prune to the desired shape and to encourage new growth. Yews, Boxwood, Mugho Pine, Nest Spruce and junipers will benefit from thinning out to encourage the sun to enter the middle of the plant.
The exception to winter pruning is spring flowering shrubs. Lilacs, Forsythia, Snowball, Weigela and Magnolia form flower buds in the previous summer and cutting these shrubs back in winter will forfeit much of their spring flower.
Take your gardening indoors. Because winter days are shorter and humidity is reduced, houseplants enter semi-dormancy, giving the gardener a perfect window to give plants a tune-up.
Start by repotting your tired plants. Choose a new pot that is no more than 2 inches larger in diameter than the existing pot. Lift the plant out of its pot, scratch the root ball, and replant into the new pot. Backfill with a good quality soilless growing medium. Water well.
Prune tropical plants to maintain good shape and encourage dense growth. Long vines of Golden Pothos and Heart Leaf Philodendron should be pruned back to avoid the scraggly appearance. Often the trimmings can be put in water to make new plants.
Other winter activities for itchy gardeners include cleaning and sharpening garden tools, repairing trellises and fencing, and tidying up the garden shed.
