Mimicking Nature

Winter Wise & Inspired

Winter is here! One might wonder, what else is there to do at this time but sit back and relax?  After all, you have probably added organic material and compost to your beds, mulched, planted your winter cover crops, and are now enjoying the tender greens of your hardy winter garden.  Winter is a great time to slow down after a growing season but don’t forget that it is also an important time to plan and make sure that all your systems are in prime working order. Here are a few ideas on what you can do for your yard and garden, to start the New Year off right!

The Positives of Pruning

Believe it or not, winter is the perfect time for pruning most trees and shrubs. One may ask, but why?  Winter is a time of rest and dormancy for most deciduous trees and shrubs.   This means that very little energy is being expended by the plant, and a great deal of energy is stored in root tissues; making the winter months a healthier time for overall structural pruning and thinning of new shoots.   If you plan on undertaking any pruning yourself, be sure to educate yourself on the correct methods.  Generally, if you have spring flowering shrubs or trees, prune after flowering, and for summer and winter flowering, prune during the dormant times of winter and early spring.  It would be wise to reference a few reputable gardening texts before you get too “saw-happy.”  The last thing you would want to do is harm your plants…or yourself! If you are ever in doubt consult with a professional horticulturist, or certified arborist.

Benefits of pruning: 

  • Pruning improves the structure of your trees and shrubs, thus improving overall plant health.
  • Pruning of edible trees and shrubs improves fruit yield, quality, and ease of harvest.  
  • Properly pruned and balanced trees are visually appealing and typically last longer in the landscape.

  • Pruning reduces the chance of damage due to storms. If we keep a check on deadwood and hangers, we can ensure that our property, and ourselves, are safe from falling debris.

Make a Plan & Dream

Winter is the perfect time to make a plan for the next growing season.  Consider where you will be sourcing out your seeds, seedlings and other gardening materials, and think about how much time you are able to put into your garden.  If you are feeling really ambitious, consider projects such as building a cold frame (for hardening off your seedlings in the spring) or think about where you could build a solar greenhouse.

During your planning, also allow yourself to dream up the perfect garden for you. It might be the addition of a herb spiral, a children’s garden, a sitting area for socializing, or a quiet sitting area for reflection. Whatever it may be, you can find inspiration from various sources in your local library gardening section, or come check out our Cowichan Green Community lending library.  By thinking ahead, and getting started on planning, you can look forward to a successful and enjoyable spring in the garden.

Wise Water Harvesting  

As you might have gathered, winter is our wet and rainy season.  It is during this time that our aquifers and rivers get a chance to replenish, due to the heavy rainfall.  Why not take a chance to use this time to catch this valuable water?  After all, you know you will need water to hydrate your plants and garden in the following summer.

There are various ways in which you can store rainwater, one of which is through the relocation of the water off of roof surfaces and into cisterns or rain barrels.  To a make the process even more efficient, consider attaching a weeping hose to these systems.  For a larger amount of water, consider building small dams, dugouts and natural ponds.  

While you are thinking about water, also consider the capability of mother-nature’s ability to store water in the soil.  By building a water infiltration system, such as a swale (a long area that is built level or ‘on contour’ with a small berm on each side), you provide a space where water can ‘spread and soak’ into the root-zone while recharging subsoil and underground springs. By building this system you can work with gravity to best suit your watering needs, as well as reduce the chance of nutrients being leached away from heavy rainfall.
 
With all your projects, the best rule of thumb is to OBSERVE.  Keep in mind that every site has individual needs, and what might work on your yard might not work in another. Above everything else, get out there and enjoy the rain… and the fresh air!  

Resources

For more tips, advice, background information and guides, check out these handy resources:

Falling for Autumn

Ah, mysterious autumn…You’ve had a summer full of delicious berries, more zucchini that you could ever imagine and fresh lettuce greens every day. But now the seasons are beginning to change and the weather is getting cooler. So, what’s next?

Don’t put away your garden tools just yet. There’s plenty more to do to make the most out of your cold months. When making your to-do list, the best guide is Mother Nature. Keep your eyes peeled for the signs she leaves behind:

Layer with Leaves

When fall colours emerge, you know that it’s time to start collecting leaves for mulching your garden and building new beds. Nature naturally mulches and creates layers by dropping dead organic matter over time. This provides a natural fertilizer and protection from erosion due to winter rain. Take some time to build a leaf litter pile, providing you with a place to store fallen leaves for application in the spring. Spreading decomposed leaf litter can increase your soil’s water retention by 50%. 

As Nature creates layers to increase soil fertility, so should you. Use fallen leaves to start a new garden bed by sheet mulching in the fall. Why in the fall? This provides ample time for materials to decompose and be a more welcoming environment for your seedlings in the spring. Adding Effective Microorganisms to your mulch, or any material you want to decompose, will further speed up decomposition. 

The abundance of Carbon stored in fallen leaves is also a good addition to your compost. Often we tend to overload compost piles with Nitrogen sources, such as kitchen scraps and lawn clippings, so this is the time to get things back in balance. Take advantage of any remaining hot, sunny days when adding this new material and the heat will give your compost a kick-start in breaking down materials. 

Watch What Weeds Do

As frustrating as they can be some times, weeds are Nature’s natural soil protector. Nature never planned for bare soil: bare soil dries out easily and quickly, leaving it vulnerable to erosion and nutrient loss when rain hits. You can mimic the same service that weeds provide without the hassle by planting winter cover crops. Cover crops, or green manure, grows through winter and then gets turned into the soil in the spring. Fall Rye is a great choice for our region. Rye is a grass and grows extensive roots, holding soil together and providing ample surface area for nutrient absorption. These roots also attract beneficial fungi grow, which absorb and make available difficult to access nutrients like Phosphorus. It is important to note that cover crops should be tilled in 3 weeks before planting, to avoid the plant taking over your garden.

Alternatively, you can also protect your soil using seaweed. Rinse off any salt first then apply it in layers with leaves, like mulch. If you have chickens, you can let them into this area in the spring to physically break up the material and speed up decomposition. 

Source Locally

Nature sources everything it needs to survive locally. We can do the same. Reduce your dependence on fossil fuel intensive fertilizers and imported, packaged manure by making your own organic material at home.  By collecting materials when they’re ready (e.g. fall leaves) and applying them at the right time, you can create your own fertilizer and soil amender, without a drop of oil. Another plant that will serve many uses is Comfrey. Comfrey has a deep root that pulls Calcium and other nutrients from the soil and into its leaves. Comfrey leaves also lack fibrous tissue, so they break down quickly when cut to add heat to a compost pile and speed up decomposition; or break down in the soil to quickly release nutrients into the soil. Forget store-bought mineral supplements- choose Comfrey! A word of caution, however: be careful NOT TO DISTURB THE ROOTS. Plant Comfrey in an area that you don't plan on tilling or cultivating, to prevent this plant from becoming invasive. 

Winter Hardy Plants

Our West Coast climate allows us to grow food all-year long. Here are some plants that you can cultivate into the cold, winter months:

Direct Seed in early August to take advantage of the remaining longer sunlit days: Arugula, Cress, Chard, Coriander (or Cilantro), Corn Salad, Kale, Winter Lettuces (e.g. Romaine, Mesclun), Mustards, Oriental Greens, Spinach, Radicchio, Winter Radish

If planting with seedlings, make sure you transplant no later than September, as plants need time to get established before the first frost hits. Cowichan Green Community will be selling a variety of winter vegetable seedlings during the fall through our Green Store at 181 Station St. Contact us for more information.

Resources

For more tips, advice, background information and guides, check out these handy resources:

The Zero Mile Diet, by Carolyn Herriot

Growing Vegetables West of the Cascades, by Steve Solomon

Gaia's Garden: A Guide to Home-Scale Permaculture, by Toby Hemenway