Garden Calendar - January

January
This is the time to ready the soil, decide what you are going to plant, and check the irrigation system if you have one.

Soil preparation: I usually till in a couple inches of steer manure and the compost pile from last season. We keep most of the kitchen waste (old salad, onions, potato peels and the like) in a corner of the garden.

Planning: I made a map of the planting area on a spreadsheet and keep that from year to year so I can remember where things were last season. (Okay, so I actually mapped the entire back and both side yards down to the square foot...) This helps to rotate crops like tomatoes or peppers that shouldn't be planted in the same spot year after year because soil diseases/pest can accumulate (nematodes). It also helps to make notes of what did well where, and what didn't. For example, we had artichokes for several years in the back. When they died, I planted more in the front near a block wall (front yard has southern exposure) and they fried in the summer sun for two years. Now I know to put them somewhere besides a heat sink. Ditto with the backyard wall. Everything within five feet struggles because of the reflected heat.



Above all, pick things you would like to eat. Peas, carrots, zucchini, beans,... something you like and preferably something that's more expensive at the stores and relatively easy to grow. My carrots are sweeter than store-bought, but probably not worth it financially. So decide what you are looking for on the dinner table. Zucchini and tomatoes are no-brainers. Easy to grow and expensive to buy at the store.

I use a drip system on a timer. This takes care of vacations and forgetfulness. Check it about every six months for plugged emitters. During the growing season check it monthly, or even weekly to make sure the plants are getting enough water. In hot June, we water the garden about every three days (yes, it's cheaper on water than growing a lawn).



Garden Map