Embrace the chance winter offers to get ahead of the garden

A gardening friend recently told me that winter is the only time of the year when you can get ahead of the garden. It wasn’t something I’d ever considered, but as I wrapped up the few garden tasks I had on my list last weekend I realized I could probably count on two hands the number of times I’ve actually accomplished everything I set out to do in the garden.

It was immensely satisfying but also a little silly. I had two paltry jobs to do: check on the several dozen dahlias tubers I have in storage to remove any bad ones and make sure they were neither too dry nor too wet, and water the containerized shrubs stored in the unheated garage for winter. 

In retrospect, rather than enjoy my minimal accomplishments, I should have embraced the opportunity to actually get ahead. Gardeners in warmer areas have a leg up in this regard, in some cases still being able to plant, but there are other hands-on jobs I could have been doing.

Chief among them is pruning. A warm winter day is the perfect opportunity to do dormant pruning on trees and shrubs. Many of the trees in our yards, including maples, birches, honeylocusts and hornbeams, should be pruned before late winter — the end of February or so — to avoid sap bleeding. 

And although dead and damaged branches can be pruned at any time, it is often easier to spot them in winter when trees’ framework is exposed.

It’s also a good time to prune apple and other fruit trees, starting with any water sprouts or suckers, the whiplike growth that grows straight from main branches or at the base of the tree. From there you can tackle larger branches, pruning for form and to open up the tree and avoid congestion for health and fruit production.

I like to wait until March to prune plants like panicle hydrangeas and other shrubs that flower on new growth or those that need rejuvenation pruning when I’m not worried about potentially sacrificing this year’s flowers, but it’s also possible to tackle that in midwinter.

It’s also a good time to clean and sharpen tools. Being able to hit the ground running in spring with tools in good condition is a joy, and if it’s been some time since you’ve sharpened your favorite spade or hoe, you’ll be shocked at what a difference it makes.

Winter seed sowing in milk jugs or other containers can also be started now. A wide variety of plants can be grown this way, in which the containers, which serve as mini greenhouses, are placed outside for seeds to germinate and grow for transplanting directly to the garden in spring. It eliminates the need for grow lights and heat mats, potting up and most of the tending that comes with growing plants from seed.

There’s plenty to do in the garden at this time of year, at least when the weather cooperates, and while they might not be the most exciting jobs, these tasks offer the rare chance to actually get ahead of the garden instead of chasing the to-do list.