Beautiful Insignificant Life 1

By Frances Jensen

  It's December and although I love the snow, I miss having plants in the garden! This time of year is all about amending the soil and setting up the Propagation Station (don't judge, my kids helped me name it).

Propagation Station

 So as the name implies, this is where I propagate my plants! This is basically a place where I regrow plants from the seeds of last year's best harvest. This time of year it's pretty barren, what I'm growing right now is kitchen scraps! Produce such as Sweet Onions, Green Onions, and Potatoes. 

You don't need much soil for Onions, I usually use shallow planters and have alot of success with them. Just make sure you have enough room for your bulb to grow. Potatoes are done the same way, however, you cut off the nubs that are growing out of your potato instead of looking for roots Also on potatoes, you need to make sure they are transplanted into a deep container or bag once a stem starts to grow.

     With the Propagation Station so sparce I'm able to clean the floor beneath it, give the bars a good wash, and rinse out watering cans with a good vinegar scrub. (I usually fill the can with a little salt, white vinegar, and water then scrub with a sponge.) Make sure soil in containers that are not being used or don't contain perennials are put in the compost heap to reintroduce nutrients. The more you plan ahead, the easier it will be come planting season!

Amending the Soil

  When plants grow they tend to deplete the soil of nutrients, this is why we compost! Besides kitchen scraps, eggshells, and coffee grounds you should have plenty of grass clippings and leaves from autumn (you can even go the extra mile and acquire some aged manure). This is all great for your compost! Make sure though that you're amending the garden area with the compost as well. November and December are great months to do this due to the impending cold months of non growth in the garden, just make sure you start this before the ground starts freezing! 

   On the bottom layer of your compost there should be a nice layer of broken down matter. What I like to do is to put this on my garden as well as some lyme, then cover it with fallen leaves, this will act like a mulch to help feed the soil and keep it warm. I also like to add a layer of compost covered with wood chips to my berries and fruit trees this will allow the soil to soak up those nutrients all winter. Now is also a good time to plant fruit trees and berries due to them being dormant. 

     Besides soil amending, now is a good time to reassess your garden layout and address issues you may have had last year with growth.

This is an example of my layout I'm currently working on. 

December may be a slow month for plant growth, however it's still very important to keep busy during the Winter. A garden is only as good as its growing medium, so this is the time to really get to composting and readying your soil and Propagation Station for the coming Spring!