Calhoun County, AL – As temperatures drop and gardens settle into their dormant season, November through March present the ideal window for gardeners to prepare for the year ahead. According to local gardening experts, winter is the perfect time to organize seeds, review tools, and arrange supplies to ensure a smooth and productive spring.
A top priority on any gardener’s winter checklist is organizing spring seeds. Seeds collected from fall harvests — whether pruned, harvested, or gifted — should be clearly labeled and stored alphabetically. This simple step saves time when planting season arrives. For instance, squash seeds can be quickly located under “S” when they are properly filed.
Seed organization also plays an important role in preserving heirloom varieties. Many gardeners value the tradition of sharing generational seeds, but those seeds often lose their significance if they are unlabeled. Experts recommend including a brief written or typed description with heirloom seeds, noting who gifted them and the year they were received — a detail future generations will appreciate.
Winter is also the ideal time to evaluate garden tools. Rusty tools should be sanded and oiled, while broken ones should be assessed for repair. Tools beyond repair don’t have to become waste; with a bit of creativity, they can be repurposed as spray-painted garden art or mounted inside a shed to hold usable tools.
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Gardeners can also use the colder months to sort twine, jute string, and recycled strings by wrapping them around reels or flat wooden pieces. Having string organized in advance prevents the frustration of tangled materials during the growing season.
Metal garden cages should be inspected and neatly stacked to prevent warping. Wooden stakes can be sorted by size and stored upright in buckets. Piles of pine straw should be neatly stacked, and rolls of weed-block fabric or plastic should be organized for easy access.
Completing these tasks during the winter months not only helps preserve gardening supplies but also sets the stage for a smoother, more enjoyable spring.
Betty Clark is a contributing writer. She has been an organic gardener since 1998. The signature flower she grows is Dahlias. She has a straw bale garden, a raised bed garden, and an in-ground garden. Both her surnames are from agricultural farming families (8 generations). Her hobbies include ancestry research, antiques, continued education classes, and workshops. She also has a background in marketing & promotions, including expos. To contact Betty Clark with gardening questions: bettyclark2151959@gmail.com
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