Getting a Head Start on Your Spring Garden: December Garden Chores

December is the perfect time to start preparing for your spring garden. With the holidays, it’s easy to neglect your gardening activities, but taking care of a few important tasks will help you get a head start on your spring garden. In this blog post, we’ll be discussing the garden chores that I like to do in December to get ahead of the game for spring gardening season!

First Things First

The first chore that I like to do in December is to test the germination rate of my seeds. There’s nothing worse than planting seeds that don’t germinate, leading to a wasted season. To avoid this, I take four seeds from each variety that I plan to plant in the future and plant them in individual rows. I give them two to three weeks to grow, using heat mats for ideal germination conditions. The seeds that germinate I keep, and the seeds that don’t, I discard.

Next, I like to clean out my gardening tools and trays. Keeping your tools sharp and clean will make gardening much easier, and having clean trays will help prevent any disease from spreading to your seedlings. I use a mixture of vinegar, water, and dish soap to clean my tools, soaking them for two hours before scrubbing with baking soda.

Growing Medium

Preparing your growing medium is another important task to complete in December. I mix new potting soil with organic fertilizer and coconut coir to create a rich growing medium that is ready for planting in January and February. I then fill my seed starting trays with the growing medium, ready for planting.

Last but not least, I love researching and ordering new seeds for my garden. This year, I have ordered different types of squashes, such as red curry and acorn squash, as well as a variety of large tomatoes. If you're interested in purchasing seeds, I have packets of pumpkin, squash, and tomato seeds available for purchase on my website, Daisy Creek Farms.com. Please note, I can only ship seeds within the continental United States.

Conclusion

In conclusion, taking care of these December garden chores will help you get a head start on your spring garden. These tasks are not time-consuming, but they will make a significant difference in the success of your garden. Get started now and enjoy the fruits of your labor come spring.