The 6 Keys to Winter Gardening

Are you intimidated by Winter Gardening?

I was, and it held my gardening in the spring and summer back for years. I let the weeds take over every winter thinking I couldn’t garden despite their abundance and growth, and I rationalized that I was letting the land “rest” which is an old paradigm that doesn’t work as it used to because the world has changed. The fallow periods in European fields of the middle ages allowed wild elements from bordering forest and wild pastures to reinoculate their fields and reset them. With our wild systems in stress, distant from most human populations, and in severe decline, we cannot hope for the rest periods to be ones of large regeneration in our fields and gardens. Instead we need to intentionally ramp up the regeneration by wisely choosing to take correct steps to align our systems to nature’s patterns and cycles using permaculture.

Once I started using these keys, winter gardening became possible and in many ways EASIER than spring and summer gardening because:

- things moved slower it was easier to adapt and respond

- there are limited options so decisions are easier

- there’s nothing else growing on in winter it’s easy to be excited about your garden success!

The 6 Keys to Winter Gardening

Start Earlier than you think

Choose Plants Wisely: Brassicas & Legumes mostly: Siberian, winter, hiver, shortest, fall, hunger gap

Orientation & Placement

Mulch Blankets

Water when it’s Warm & Water minimally

Cloche/Hoop House/Greenhouse/Old Windows (Maybe)

Even if it’s too late to start early for you this year, consider an early spring garden to prep your soil and grow in that pesky hunger gap. You can garden in many places year round but it takes some planning and strategy! Good Luck & Keep Growing!

Grow Abundantly, Learn Daily, & Live Regeneratively,

Matt Powers