Gardening Geeks—What to do in January!

Tomato Lady of Santa Fe with a 3 lb ‘Big Zac’ tomato out of her garden.

1. Unplug your outdoor holiday lights and your ready for next year. (Notice I didn’t say put them away)

2. My uncle turned me onto an alcoholic drink called a Picon Punch-a basque drink. He was Basque/Italian and had one every night. I think that’s why he lived so long plus he had a great garden.

3. Read gardening books and catalogs by the fireplace. Leave them out. Your significant other will love you for this but be careful they don’t use them for starting the fire.

4. Watch weather (say isn’t that a cloud-oooh I think it looks like a tomato up there-do you see it?)

5. Make snow vegetables instead of a snowman-that’s if we ever get any snow…

6. Drool over all the seed catalogs (by the fireplace).

7. Take your dog or goat (I don’t have a dog) for a drag (they don’t like to walk in snow-again assuming we get snow). Don’t have a goat? Get a dog.

8. Order more seeds-as if we don’t have enough.

9. Guess how high your utility bill will be this month. Sit by the fireplace more and turn the thermostat down.

10. Get lots of firewood inside before that next storm (what storm?). Buy green firewood-lasts longer…

11. Find your growing light boxes or shelves (or make them if you haven’t). Drag them inside this month to set up early and freak out your significant other.

12. Get heat mats for your grow shelves-a must have if you start seeds indoors. Nice to sit on too.

13. Insulate your grow shelves so they don’t loose heat at night inside. I bought a roll of metallic bubble wrap and wrapped it around all 4 sides (one side removable in front so I can get to the plants). Wrap your dog or cat in the leftover metallic wrap-you’ll enjoy it-they won’t.

14. Schedule when each veggie can go out (by the fireplace). I use a garden planner from Johnny’s Seeds. How’s that for obsessive? Hey you gotta do something inside all these months!

15. Toss that plant you didn’t plant outside and didn’t have the heart to get rid of last fall that is now full of aphids. (where do they come from anyways?)

16. Thank your significant other now for putting up with your obsession. They’ll thank you next growing season with all your veggies.