Planning for the 2013 Season

Can hardly believe it, Jan. 2013 will be here in just 3 days.

Most folks think farmers/gardeners take the winter off but the fact is; if we use the wintertime wisely to plan and think, the coming season is so much more successful, stress free and simply easier! A few things that float to the front of my mind:

• My first thought- what didn’t go so good last year? Here on the farm we got 10 inches of rain on a August Saturday that flooded one of our newer gardens which was planted with most of our fall harvest crops. This garden was under 8 inches of water for over a week, a slow and torturous death for all involved. That isn’t going to happen again! I am planning a drainage plan for a flood.
• Have I learn a new way to do something or about something new to grow? This is where having a Garden Journal is priceless. It is the place you gather and stick all of this type of info as you find it throughout the year. When I pullout my stack of notes, magazine pages etc. from the journal I can easily figure this out. First-  am I still interested? if so what do I want to do? Once I sort through this kind of stuff, I get down to business.
•  What do I want to grow this year in flowers/vegetables.
• When does it get planted? How much room does it need? Do I plant onetime or several times to keep the harvest coming?
• After I figure all this out, then I make a dream garden plan according to these winter dreamy wishes.
• Everyone falls short of winter dream gardens. Know now that part of the process is not fulfilling it all. The try and try again is this farmers way of life!
• Once garden plans are made then all else falls into line.
• Seed starting schedule
• Seed buying schedule
• Seed starters work schedule
• Chore lists
• Planting schedule
• Harvesting schedule.So forth and so on.
•  All of this is condensed and written on a giant wall calendar that hangs in the work building for all to work from.
• Another thing I started doing last year because we didn’t get stuff written in the journal as it should – we now just make notes on that  same giant calendar that is literally hanging on the door that we walk through all day. This allows me at this time of the year to take that calendar and make the necessary notes in the journal that will benefit coming years.

In order to get flowers, I must plan!

The reason for this process is so I do not have to think once the season gets going. It is the same for the home gardener. once spring hits everyone wants to be outdoors doing something and looking at your gardening calendar tells you what you should be doing!

Spring is just around the corner!

Lisa Z