I kind of like January; you can see the sun rising on the horizon and begin to imagine the days getting longer. Here in northern Utah, there are a couple of things you need to do to get ready for the 2021 gardening season.
First, get out the seed catalogs. Plan out which cultivars you intend to try for this year's garden. Don't wait until March to order. Last year, we noted there were seed shortages.
Second, inventory your existing seed stocks to see what was leftover. Do you think you have enough seed to get you through this year's gardening season? Was there was something you don't like? Think about switching that out.
Third, if some of the seeds are a few years old, you may need to run a germination test on those. If germination values are below 70%, best to replace the seed. If you do plant it, be sure to over-seed to ensure your plant populations are correct.
Fourth, if you're going to grow artichokes or asparagus, you should start the transplants in mid-January for a mid-April planting date so larger plants do better.
Early sowing is important for our St. George listeners. Have seed supplies of carrot, lettuce, spinach, pea onion, mustard, radish, chard all ready for your February plantings. Check soil temperatures. The ground should be at least 45 to 50 degrees before you plant these, and that can happen pretty quickly.
So with that, I want to wish you all a happy new year and enjoy your gardening season as you're planning for 2021.
