From the UGA Extension website….
- Why
not get started early for next year?
— Spread manure, rotted sawdust and leaves over the garden and plow them under; you'll be surprised at the difference this organic matter will make in the fertility, physical structure and water-holding capacity of the soil.
— Take a soil sample to allow plenty of time to get the report back. Lime applied now will be of more benefit next year than if it is applied in the spring before planting. Always apply Dolomitic limestone in order to get both calcium and magnesium. - Save
those leaves for the compost heap.
- Take
an "inventory." Maybe you had too much of some vegetables and
not enough of others - or maybe there were some unnecessary
"skips" in the supply. Perhaps some insect, disease or nematode
problem got the upper hand. Make a note about favorite varieties. Start
planning next year's garden now!
- You're
wise to order flower and vegetable seeds in December or January, while the
supply is plentiful. Review the results of last year's garden and order
the more successful varieties.
- You
may have seeds left over from last year. Check their viability by placing
some in damp paper towels and observing the germination percentage. If the
percentage is low, order new ones.
- Before
sending your seed order, draw a map of the garden area and decide the
direction and length of the rows, how much row spacing is needed for each
vegetable, whether or not to plant on raised beds, and other details. That
way, you won't order too many seeds. This same advice applied to the
flower garden. Try new cultivars, add more color, change the color scheme,
layer the colors by having taller and shorter plants — don't do it the
same way year after year.
- Look
around for tools you do not have and hint for these for Christmas
presents.
1 comment:
Already started thinking of planting. Just found lettuce seeds, will try that germination test. I am thinking of adding peet to where I grow my carrots, they just never get very big for me. Any suggestions? The dog last year ate all my beets as they were coming in, had in fenced off and he squeezed in so will need to dog and rabbit proof my garden as well
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