The harvest of last summer's and autumn's crops has been completed. I chose greens, maple, pineapple guava and pomegranate. I cleared the yard and put away my gear. It's time for my garden to rest.
I start the new year with a renewed sense of joy and hope and with the goal of creating a successful garden that will nourish me throughout the spring, summer and fall. I am now ready to plan for the 2024 season.
A bountiful harvest does not happen by magic. Of course nature wants plants to grow, but if we want some plants and not weeds, we need the human touch. This month's preparations are the same as the tasks I do every January. I will share this list with some tips that will bring success to you too.
I have raised 12 beds. Some of them are covered with perennial grasses that grow every year. I use the rest of the bed for seasonal vegetables.
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Every year I make a map of what I planted that year. Why? Why is it important to rotate certain crops to avoid soil diseases and insect pests? I use a simple counter-clockwise process to replant all brassicas, such as tomatoes, potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, radishes, kale, and mustard greens.
Starting in November I start dreaming about what I want to plant next year. I looked online to find out what grows best in my climate zone; Napa County has more than one Sunset climate zone, so check your zone.
In January I usually receive a catalog full of interesting ideas. January is also a great time to visit your local nursery to pick out bare root fruit trees and berry plants. Now they can move underground.
Now you can start planting your seeds indoors. Napa County Master Gardeners maintain a planting schedule that includes planting times based on season and plant type.
I bought sterile seed starting potting mix and sterilized some small pots used in previous years. Sometimes I also use small paper cups with drainage holes to sow the seeds.
I keep the pots in a warm, dark place until the seeds germinate, then move them to a bright light source, such as a table by a window. When the soil temperature is warm enough, I plant the seeds outside. More detailed instructions can be found on the Napa County Master Gardener website.
In the fall, I fill the beds with compost, cut up the fallen autumn leaves and use them as mulch. Mulch keeps the soil warm all winter and protects weeds.
If I want to create a new flower bed, I use the "lasagna method". This technique involves layering sheets of cardboard and compost that are used in the garden bed in the fall. First, I installed a kit against rodents, moles, mice and rats. Then I added layers of soil, cardboard and compost. Winter rains and worms break down the cardboard and mix it into the composted clay soil, which is a good start. By spring it is usually ready to use, although I may add a bit of fertilizer.
Each of my beds was born this way. I also use this method to remove areas that may have been overlooked in the past year.
I spend a lot of time in my garden in the winter because my two border shrubs love to play ball. This method is easy to remove dead plants and branches. I practice basic sanitation to avoid spreading pathogens. My pruning tools are clean to begin with, and I use rubbing alcohol to disinfect the pruning shears between different plants. When the weather warms and the threat of frost passes, I rake leaves and mulch around the fruit trees so the sun continues to warm the soil.
Turn off the irrigation or better yet buy a smart irrigation controller. The monitoring app on my phone also tells me when there is a rise in saturation on the graph because the app is smart enough to know when it's raining. I can also start or stop watering depending on the weather.
I used a simple rain gauge to see how much rain we got. If you don't have a smart irrigation controller, you may want to watch the timing carefully. My yard has gotten almost 10 inches of rain this season. I could turn off the sprinkler system for the season, but I'm glad to know the controller does the job.
Here are some steps I follow each winter to ensure the future success of the garden. I feel like I can at least give the plants a good start with this experience. You can do the same.
Pruning Workshop: Join UC Marin County Master Gardeners with Nancy Brown via Zoom on Wednesday, February 7th from 10:00 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Brown is a professional plant esthetician and educator. Whether you're pruning or growing a deciduous tree or rejuvenating a damaged tree, this course will cover best practices for tree beauty and health. Price: 30 dollars. Register on the Zoom link at https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=40751.
Library Conversation: UC Napa County Master Gardeners and the Napa Library will be discussing "Agaves: More Than Tequila and Ancient Herbs" via Zoom on Thursday, March 7th from 7-8pm. Learn more about adding deer-resistant, beautiful, and easy-care plants to your garden. Register here: https://surveys.ucanr.edu/survey.cfm?surveynumber=41734.
Help Desk: The Master Gardener Help Desk is available to answer your gardening questions Monday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., at the University of California Cooperative Extension office, 1710 Soscol Ave., Suite 4, Napa. Or send your questions to mastergardeners@countyofnapa.org. Enter your name, address, phone number and a brief description.
Linda St. Claire is a master gardener in the UC Napa area.
