Gardening Resolutions for 2011

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Winter Gardening Tasks

• Start seeds of broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, and other cool-season crops indoors for planting outside in March.
• Plant flowering dogwoods, tulip magnolias, Japanese maples, and other specimen plants available at nurseries for winter planting.
• Fill your winter garden with color from primroses and pansies.
• Prune roses in February near the end of the dormant season; remove old leaves on and around the plants now.
• Check the watering of outdoor container plants, especially those under eaves or porches where rain can’t reach them.

Gardening Resolutions for the Season

Beautiful winter days make gardeners eager for warmer weather. Use this time to set goals for the season ahead.

• Tend the soil: Beginners may start a compost heap, while seasoned gardeners should spread compost liberally.
• Grow more food: Rotate crops, practice succession planting (peas, lettuce, beets, greens, basil, cilantro), and try at least one new vegetable. Donate extra produce to Willits Community Services, Food Bank, or Willits Daily Bread.
• Improve cooking skills: Take the "Nutrition & Cooking with LOCAL, Garden-Fresh Produce and Organic Staple Foods" class at the Grange.
• Plant more annuals: Add color, cutting flowers, and fragrance to beds, pots, and vegetable gardens.
• Plan a fall garden: Start seeds in June, transplant in August (e.g., broccoli, Brussels sprouts), and plant cover crops by early September.
• Plant a fruit tree: Start an orchard or replace underperforming trees for future harvests.
• Keep a garden diary: Track microclimate details like frost dates and pest patterns.
• Share your passion: Grow, celebrate, discover, and enjoy your garden!