Resilience For Your Green Thumb: How To Engage With Nature In The Colder Months

In recent years, but during the quarantine period especially, folks have been flocking to their local garden centers in search of a new hobby and a chance to cultivate their green thumb. While the colder months rapidly approach, that doesn’t mean you need to give up a newfound love of plants and gardening. On the contrary, there are plenty of ways to sustain your new hobby. Here are some great tips from the team at Bookcliff Gardens in Grand Junction on how to garden year-round.

FORCING BULBS

Forcing bulbs refers to tricking a plant into growing outside its season by mimicking conditions during which it normally blooms. Owner of Bookscliff Gardens, Stephanie Griggs, loves this trick. 

“It’s really a fun winter project!” she says. “I forced Amaryllis last winter, and they got so tall they fell over.” 

To force Amaryllis, place the bulbs in a shallow pot that’s only a couple inches wider than the bulb itself; Amaryllis likes to be a little pot-bound, according to Griggs. Water it well and keep the bulb in a warm place — the warmer the better. Once the bulb starts to flower, move the pot to a cooler location, which will help the flowers last longer. The first stalk should produce four or five blooms that live for three to four weeks. Once the blooms begin to fade, cut the stalk down near the base, which will leave room for a new stalk and flowers if your bulb is big enough. Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see blooms immediately; it can take anywhere from four to 10 weeks for Amaryllis to produce flowers.

GREENHOUSES

Dennis Hill, former owner turned employee of Bookcliff Gardens, cautions those who want to start a greenhouse in the winter to really think it through. 

“Consider what you want to grow, how hot you’re going to have to heat the greenhouse, how much sun your plants of choice will need; it can get to be a very expensive project,” he says. 

Many people like to grow tomatoes in greenhouses, but they’ll require artificial light for about two to four hours, need to be kept heated 70 to 80 degrees and need a pollinator. In order to cut costs and effort, Hill suggests going for cooler temperature vegetables, like lettuce, spinach and chard. They only need to be kept around 65 to 70 degrees and don’t require additional sunlight on most days. Tropical house plants like orchids or bonsai could also be grown in greenhouses, but they need to be kept quite warm — closer to 85 degrees. Greenhouse kits can be purchased online or in some home and garden centers. Hill recommends buying a kit with clear plastic sides to allow the maximum amount of sunlight to reach your plants.

INDOOR HERBS + PLANTS

If you don’t have the backyard space for an outdoor garden, you may be familiar with growing herbs inside. By adding accessible, affordable grow lights, this can be done in winter as well. Plenty of light and water will ensure your homecooked dishes are always laced with the best-smelling herbs. Alternatively, Mona Dyer, another employee at Bookcliff Gardens, says that winter is when she really concentrates on caring for her indoor houseplants. 

“It’s a great time to divide, repot and clean up your houseplants,” she says. 

If you’re moving plants from the outside in, make sure you haven’t brought any bugs inside. If you do find any insects on indoor plants, it is always best to turn to experts to help diagnose. Houseplants can be sensitive, so it’s important to get the right products to deal with them. Dyer adds, “It’s important to always use clean tools, clean pots and fresh soil to prevent insect infestation.” 

DAYDREAMING ABOUT FUTURE PROJECTS

“I would say the winter is a great time to recount your successes from the past season and plan anew for the upcoming season,” says Griggs. “Gardeners can take time to plan, design and dream.” 

Those itching for next season to roll around can gather seed catalogs, plot out garden beds, choose which vegetable or flowers to plant — the list goes on. 

“When a plan is made, it makes it easier to check in with local nurseries to see what seeds are available and what one might need to order to supplement,” Griggs explains. 

When gardeners aren’t rushed to snatch the best crops from their garden center while they’re available, they can be more intentional, leading to a more successful harvest season. Consider which plants flower when and how long it takes for vegetables to start producing, that way you have a continuous supply. This is also a great time to do inventory on gardening tools and supplies. 

Just because snow is falling doesn’t mean you have to give up your love of plants and gardening. Spring will be here before you know it; but until then, test out one of these side projects to satisfy your green thumb. 

Originally published in the Winter 2020-21 issue of Spoke+Blossom.