What to work on this winter?

[donsgal]

We are going to be moving into the homestead in the next week or so and I am wondering what dh and I should be working on in preparation for next spring.

We'll be putting in some raised bed gardens, so plowing and tilling and stuff like that is not necessary. Also, dh will be putting in some fruit trees. I'm wondering if we should be doing any preparitory work for that. Also when is the best time to plant fruit trees? I thought I read somewhere that fall is best, but I can't remember the details.

We'll be having some blueberry bushes and other edible landscaping (maybe seaberries or josta berries), and I am not sure when they need to be planted (I'll check the catalog/online).

Right now we aren't planning on having chickens just yet because we do have to be gone in January and June due to dh's work.

Any advice is gratefully appreciated, I'm just trying to make the best use of the time! We're new to this! LOL

donsgal

[RichieC]

Originally Posted by donsgal

We are going to be moving into the homestead in the next week or so and I am wondering what dh and I should be working on in preparation for next spring.

We'll be putting in some raised bed gardens, so plowing and tilling and stuff like that is not necessary. Also, dh will be putting in some fruit trees. I'm wondering if we should be doing any preparitory work for that. Also when is the best time to plant fruit trees? I thought I read somewhere that fall is best, but I can't remember the details.

We'll be having some blueberry bushes and other edible landscaping (maybe seaberries or josta berries), and I am not sure when they need to be planted (I'll check the catalog/online).

Right now we aren't planning on having chickens just yet because we do have to be gone in January and June due to dh's work.

Any advice is gratefully appreciated, I'm just trying to make the best use of the time! We're new to this! LOL

donsgal

Generally the best time to plant trees and bushes is....right now. At least in New Hampshire, replacement trees go into the orchards in October.

Even if you are planning on raised beds, you will want to kill off the grass/weeds in your garden area.

[Jennifer L.]

I agree, the older you get the earlier you should have planted your trees.

You might want to get some compost piles started this fall. You could do some big ones that aren't going to have to be turned too much, and you could do some smaller easier to turn ones that will be ready by spring for the new beds. Then the bigger ones will be ready for the next year.

Good luck! Sounds like there's some fun in your future.

Jennifer

[keltink]

If I were you, I'd take the winter as a time to learn and understand your property. Put in some fruit trees, sure, but make it a point to enjoy your first months. Work - seemingly endless work, will come soon enough. Maybe take this time to just learn the mini-eco systems that the land presents - all property is different, wonderful and unique. Sometimes, by rushing, you can do serious damage before you understand that you're dealing with ... besides, it is so fun to sit back and just watch what happens for a while in a brand-new world!

[Beeman]

Does it get cold there? I would spend the first winter working on keeping warm efficiently and improving basics like insulation and such.

[FourDeuce]

If you don't have any birds and you plant fruit trees and blueberries, you might be taking a losing gamble. I'm not too far from you(northern Arkansas), and my first year here in the Ozarks I planted some fruit trees before I got my chickens, guineas and ducks. The grasshoppers came and flocked to my fruit trees and proceeded to eat all the leaves. When they finished off the leaves, they started to work on the bark. When they were done, the trees were dead. Now that I have the guineas, chickens and ducks I can keep my fruit trees and my garden much easier. Of course, now I have to protect everything I plant from the guineas and chickens. Every time they see fresh soft dirt, they try to take a dust bath in it, and they will dig up a freshly planted bush if you don't protect it with wire or something.

[GrannyG]

Make seed tapes to go in the garden !
Seed tapes are timesaving planting aides -- strips of biodegradable paper featuring evenly spaced seeds. Rip newspaper into inch-long strips using only black and white sections (to avoid the toxins that come with color). Make a paste of one part water for every four parts all-purpose flour. Dab seeds in the mixture and stick them in the center of the strip. Your seed packet should provide the recommended spacing. When the glue is dry, roll up the strips and seal them in separate plastic bags. Add a tablespoon of salt (to keep seeds dry) and the empty packet (as an informational label). Store your seed tapes in a cool place. When planting time comes around, you will reap the efforts of pre- sowing!
This is a great cold-weather project that'll save you plenty of planting time in the garden.
Seed tapes are strips of paper with seeds adhered down the center of each strip and evenly spaced. When you plant the strip, the paper and glue decompose and you are left with perfectly spaced crops.

[Wolf mom]

I agree with Keltink. You need to get a feel for your own patch of earth. How the prevailing winds blow, the water flows, if any slopes. Find the unique things about your property. your views, etc. Watch where you walk & make paths. Then decide where & how you want to place things. It's pretty hard to move trees & buildings if you find you should have put them someplace else. Above all, have fun with it. The work will be hard, but rewarding.

[Callieslamb]

Are you getting the garden ready for planting? I didn't understand from your post. Anyway - you need to prepare your beds in the fall. Much easier than in the spring with its varying weather. Everyone that asks me about gardening, asks in the spring and then it is late for getting beds dug and soil prepared.

Yes to the fruit trees. Many places have them on sale now too.

Work up a plan for the entire farm. Draw it out on paper. then decide what needs to happen when and how it is best to do it. The plan can always change, but starting with a plan in mind helps so much! Keeps you focused and helps you see the progress.

[Batt]

GrannyG...Thanks, what a great idea!