February  Garden Preparations

Every garden blog seems obliged regularly to  "nag" its readers by posting lists about what they should be doing now, but probably have been ducking from doing.  Here's our list:

1. Stop feeling down in February, cheer yourself up a little, go find those seed  catalogs that arrived in the mail immediately after Christmas, and look at them again. Their covers will remind you that spring might be coming sometime.  Do you remember what seeds you were thinking about ordering?  This time, jot down what you want to order. It's not too late for that.
2. Get outside and breathe some cold air. Now is the time to prune those grape vines and fruit trees as well as a lot of other stuff.  In fact, I've almost motivated myself now to do the grape vines I maintain  in a nearby community garden.  If you're not sure about what to cut, checkout Cornell's fruit growing guide for the home gardener. It covers everything and probably more than you want to know about growing all kinds of fruit.
3. I hate this one... Wash those flower pots, planting trays and the tools you use for starting your plants.  Remember to add some bleach to the water to kill the  mold or bacteria.  And, you might as well clear off the table or countertop that your going to use eventually to start seedings. If you happen to have a greenhouse, you probably need to clear off its decks too.
4. Check your garden tools again. Do the hoes, spades and shears need sharpening, more cleaning?  
5. Take a fresh look at the old seed packets you saved from last year.  How old are they really?     Seed companies typically print the year that seeds are
   
   meant to be used either near the top or bottom of a seed packet, sometimes on the front, sometimes on the back.  The tested germination rate for  its  intended year of sale may also be noted on the packet. Seed germination rates fall dramatically for some varieties after the first year.  For a quick check on how long seeds for the most popular vegetables stay viable, look at this article from Oregon's Extension Service. 
6. Now take a deep breath.  If you have a heated greenhouse or grow lights in the cellar,  you might consider starting some cool weather vegetables like celery, onions, leeks, and lettuce for an actual early start on the growing season.  If you don't have a greenhouse or grow lights, don't plant any vegetable seeds yet.  Just keep thinking  about doing it for a while yet. 

Remember, spring is coming, and there will be even more things to do or not do in March.

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