Late winter is a transition point in the garden. The outdoor beds are still resting, but indoors, the growing season is already underway. With signs of an early spring here in Missouri, this time of year feels less like waiting and more like preparation.
My seed-starting setup is in the basement. I’m using two wire shelving racks fitted with grow lights, with trays of seedlings underneath and small fans running to keep air circulating. I don’t use heat mats, but I do use plastic humidity domes during germination, removing them once seedlings emerge and begin to strengthen. The setup is simple, efficient, and easy to maintain.
Currently, I have peppers, tomatoes, and onions started — slower-growing crops that benefit from an early indoor start. Later this week, I’ll be sowing cabbage, celery, and several herbs, spacing things out so the process stays manageable rather than rushed and overwhelming.
Alongside seed starting, I rotate trays of hard red wheat fodder for the chickens. Growing fodder indoors during winter has become part of our routine, providing fresh greens when access to the yard is limited. The girls make their enthusiasm very clear on fodder days!
I’m also experimenting with microgreens and learning how different varieties grow. Last week’s were broccoli sprouts, and this week I plan to try radish greens. Each variety responds a little differently to light, water, and timing, and this slower paced season is ideal for observation.
With the snow finally gone, today is focused on garden clean-up — clearing old plant debris, tidying beds, and assessing what needs attention. With warmer temperatures arriving earlier than usual, I may plant a few seeds outdoors this week, knowing full well that late winter gardening often involves a calculated risk.
The chickens are enjoying the change in weather as much as I am! With the yard free of snow, they’ve returned to dust bathing wherever the ground is dry and warm, scratching away at the leaves along the declines, and taking full advantage of not being shut in the run.
This season also brings expansion to the garden. We’re adding a new raised bed on the west side of the garden and connecting it to the existing space with an arched trellis. In addition to supporting climbing plants, the trellis will provide shade and shelter for the chickens during the heat of summer.
On the east side of the garden, I’ll be growing potatoes and sweet potatoes for the first time. Whether they end up in grow bags, towers, or a dedicated raised bed is still undecided, but they’ll have a space of their own as part of this year’s plan. This is reminding me that I also need to start my sweet potato slips!
For now, late winter is about steady progress — starting seeds indoors, growing fresh greens for the chickens, and preparing the garden for the months ahead. The soil may still be resting, but the season is already moving, right here between the coop and the kitchen.