January is the time to amend your existing beds and start some new garden beds too.
Here are some tips for your existing beds.
Take out old or finished plants and add them to the compost pile. Pull the mulch back and add these nutrients back into the soil:
Compost — ¼- to ½-inch thick over the entire bed
Expanded shale — 1-inch thick, if you haven’t previously added it. Only add it once every 10 years.
Dried molasses — a dusting, unless this will be a cantaloupe bed, in which case, add more.
Green sand — a dusting for a boost of iron to your veggies.
Lava sand — a dusting for root stimulation
Soft-rock phosphate — a thin layer for root growth, seed germination and bloom set.
Work all that into the soil to the depth of 3-4 inches. Replace mulch and add new mulch as needed, then plant.
A few more items to plant include Swiss chard, kale, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower and kale. You can also start seeds indoor or in your greenhouse now. Think late-spring and summer crops such as squash, peppers and tomatoes.
