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season: winter
section: the work this season asks for
---

- read the seed catalogs. plan next year's garden on paper before you plan it in dirt.
- inventory stored seeds. most last two to three years if kept cool and dry.
- maintain tools. replace handles, tighten bolts, sharpen edges. winter is for repair.
- prune fruit trees and dormant hardwoods on dry days. clean cuts, sharp saw.
- start onion and leek seeds indoors under lights, eight to ten weeks before last frost.
- check stored produce. one rotting potato ruins the box. sort through everything monthly.
- fix fences, gates, raised beds. frozen ground makes it harder but the time is there.

winter work is slow and inside. planning, mending, sharpening. the garden is resting but you should not be idle. quiet work is still work.