Cabin Fever Gardening

Houseplants in winter

By Julie Rubaud
For The Hinesburg Record

It’s the dead of winter and the weather has been... well, let’s not even talk about it. The seed catalogs have poured in, they are lying all around the house, tempting us with dreams of future sunshine, dirt under the nails, baskets of produce, and all those things we are deprived of in these short, dark days. Here are a few things I like to do to get through winter. I would love to hear other people’s coping strategies, so please share your thoughts on cabin fever gardening. For one thing, meditate. Not necessarily in a formal way, but just sit still. Imagine seeds, roots, and bulbs that are buried deep in the frozen earth. This period of short days is necessary in the life of a plant. It is a time of dormancy and rejuvenation, for plants as well as for humans. Rather than fight the dark days, embrace this as a time of year when you get to slow down, evaluate, and regenerate. I love that, because of my work, my life can follow seasonal rhythms to a certain extent. Winter is when I plan, plot, analyze, and restore.

Next, look for signs of green. As the days slowly lengthen, find a special shrub or tree to study on a regular basis. We have a row of willows along the edge of our property, and I love to check out the progress of the softening that happens very slowly, and then after mid-February, it speeds up a bit. The buds begin to swell, the color of the stems changes ever so slowly and slightly. Because plants are our best teachers, we can be the best students of plants with simple observation.

Focus on your houseplants. At our house, we neglect these poor plants all summer, but try to baby them a bit in the winter. Careful watering, cleaning, fertilizing as needed, potting into bigger pots, moving them around... these are all tasks we never have time for the rest of the year. You can also try your hand at propagating your own houseplants. It is a great way to learn about plant physiology, and it gives you new plants as a bonus. Plus they make great holiday gifts for next year. Ask friends for cuttings from their plants, diversify your own collection and learn about the various ways that all types of plants root. Again, observation is key here, and the lessons learned in plant physiology will transfer to your practical gardening knowledge outdoors.

Grow some sprouts. There are great resources locally and on line. Here are some suggestions.

● Sprout People offers instruction, seeds and supplies.

● Johnny’s Selected Seeds and High Mowing Seeds offers seeds and supplies.

● You can also make your own set up pretty cheaply with some window screening and mason jars.

Grow some greens and shoots. You’ll need a grow light, otherwise, things will be leggy and less nutritious, even in a south facing window. You will also need some trays with drain holes, about two inches high, some good potting soil, and some good quality seeds. You can sprinkle seeds onto the surface of the soil, press down, and cover with a very thin layer of soil. Press down again, and water very gently and evenly. Try these greens for a quick three weeks to harvest: arugula, tatsoi, mustard greens, boc choi. If you are willing to wait a little longer, in five weeks, you can harvest baby lettuce, spinach, kale, chard, cilantro, or dill. The trick here is to stick to varieties that grow quickly. You can only cut them once, the light will just not be strong enough for them to grow again. Here are some instructions for growing pea shoots.

You can do this so easily in any kitchen and it is a great way to add some fresh, living foods to your winter diet.

Happy gardening!

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Julie Rubaud is the owner of Red Wagon Plants