March 14, 2025
There’s much to do in the garden as we prepare for spring. I love these longer, sunnier, and crisp days of early March, and I even enjoy the rainy days, which are chilly and require the dusty rain boots that live way back in my closet. Winter is a time to nurture, protect, and prepare your plants for a season of steady growth. Here are my go-to tips for keeping your winter garden lush and resilient.
Fungal issues like rust, powdery mildew, and black spots can appear even in winter. Pests and diseases don’t take a break just because it’s cold! Prevention is key. Here’s how to keep your plants healthy with organic solutions:
A simple soap and water spray spray can help deter aphids. A few drops of mild dish soap in a spray bottle with water will do the trick.
Sprinkle diatomaceous earth around the base of plants as a natural pest deterrent to keep crawling insects away.
All natural neem oil works wonders against pests and fungal diseases. A light spray on leaves (especially the undersides) helps keep issues at bay.
A well-timed dormant spray with copper can prevent fungal spores from taking hold. For deciduous plants and trees, use horticultural oil and Liqui-Cop spray to combat insects and fungal spores. This is especially important for controlling peach leaf curl on peaches and nectarines. Apply at least twice, about a week apart.
Improve Air Circulation by pruning and spacing out plants to help reduce humidity buildup.
Winter rains can lead to waterlogged soil, a big no-no for many plants. Here’s how to maintain good drainage:
Raised Beds and pots allow you to control the soil and make it as nutrient-dense and balanced for growth and drainage as possible. Once a year, filter beds or pots for old root systems, which take up space and stunt growth. I toss them in our compost bin so they can decompose more quickly. Controlling the soil in beds and containers is an advanced way to improve drainage, so make the best choice—complete with a combination of perlite, pumice, and sand, which helps drainage.
If your soil is heavy with clay, adding gypsum helps break it up and improve its texture.
If your soil in the garden is compacted, whisk in perlite to improve aeration and drainage.
No matter the season, healthy soil is the key to a thriving garden. Keep it nutrient-rich by incorporating compost and mulch into your soil every time you plant to feed it, suppress weeds, and regulate temperature.
The best time to prune citrus trees is late winter to early spring. Pruning stimulates new growth before the growing season. It also clears old branches and dead wood, reducing crowding and improving airflow and sun exposure.
Pick citrus on a schedule so the fruit doesn’t spoil. We have a lot of citrus trees in the garden that are loaded with fruit. I pick fruit weekly, which helps me move through the yield and makes for beautiful bowls of citrus throughout the house. I slice and dehydrate oranges in my dehydrator, creating the tastiest and prettiest garnish for drinks and preserving lemons like this.
With busy schedules, neglecting the winter garden is easy, but there’s still time to plant! Since shorter days mean slower growth, opt for quick and reliable crops. You can plant the following and still add your tomatoes at the end of the month.
Radishes – They grow quickly and are so satisfying to harvest.
Soft Lettuces – Arugula and mâche thrive in cool weather and add a gourmet touch to your salads.
Winter gardening might not have the glamour of summer harvest hauls, but with some care, you’ll set yourself up for a bountiful and beautiful spring. So grab your pruners and a cup of tea, and enjoy the slower, more meditative rhythm of winter in the garden!
This is where everything begins for me—how I plan every dinner, whether for two or twenty. I try my best to grow organic seeds and seedlings without genetic modification. If I invest all this time into the garden, we might as well increase the number of the best, most nutrient-filled plants available. I also seek out the most interesting and tasty varieties, planting what I can’t easily find at the market.
Grow things you (and your family) love to eat.
Great soil is the key to success. Before you plant, add about an inch of compost. After you plant and mulch, please, and thank you. If you feel your plants need a little boost, I like Down to Earth organic all-purpose fertilizer mix (4-6-2).
Making a weekly date with your garden always helps me stay focused on what is doing well, what has been neglected, and what needs to be harvested. It also helps me manage pests. I coordinate these visits around the days our gardener will be here so we can work together and he can help me move heavy items.
Then add summer crops after the spring equinox.
-Fava beans
-Artichoke
-Sugar snap peas
-Watermelon radish
-English peas
-Garlic
-Fennel
-Leek
-Japanese turnips
Don’t forget to leave some room to plug in tomatoes at the Spring Equinox.
