Spring Garden Prep You Can Do in February

Avid gardeners (and novices too) can begin to get a bit stir-crazy in late winter, after months of being indoors. But with spring just around the corner, you don't have to feel down! There are many things you can do in February to get prepared and excited for the new season.

• Study and learn. If you have gardened for many years, you probably already know what grows well in your area. If you're new to gardening, you can use winter downtime to study and learn about best practices from others who have already experimented. Research which plants thrive in your specific region, and the best ways to plant, transplant, cultivate and harvest them.
• Map garden beds. Mapping out your garden before planting will help you know how many seeds you will need, where to plant them and how you can keep each bed producing through the growing season. Planning can be done on paper or using an online planning tool. If you plan on paper, use the spacing recommended by your seed supplier to determine how many plants you can grow in an area.
• Make a plan. Determine which plant varieties you will grow, where you will source the seeds or plants, and when to plant. You may need to start some seeds in your garden shed or indoors, so record when that task should be done and when the seedlings should be transferred to the garden. You may also want to note approximate harvest dates for each crop. These plans can also be saved for next year, making planning for next year's garden easier!
• Order seeds. Now that you have determined what you will grow and where you will source it, you can order seeds. Once the seeds arrive, separate what needs to be started indoors from what can be sown directly in the garden. Finally, organize seeds by planting date.
• Audit supplies. Take an audit of the gardening tools and supplies in your shed to see what needs to be cleaned or replaced. Make sure you have an adequate supply of potting soil, seed trays, pots and anything else you need to start seeds indoors. Service large equipment such as tractors, tillers and mowers as needed.

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