With 2024 almost in the rear-view mirror, it’s a good time to reflect on the year and make some decisions on what we want to do differently in 2025. While there are a lot of potential changes to make in our personal/social lives (spending less time on social media for me). Let’s talk about things we might decide to do differently in the garden.

For us, in our Seed to Supper Farm where we learn more about growing vegetables and then donate those vegetables to area food pantries, we’ve determined to make some changes in the lay of the land if you will. You see, each year since we started with this project 3 years ago, we’ve lost a fair amount of our crops due to monsoon season in April or May. During the winter break, we’ve worked to change the grade on our field to improve drainage including installing a tinhorn to help water drain out to a creek. This is something we’ve known needed to be done, but it’s a big task and it just kept getting put off. So, I guess resolution number one would be to quit putting off things you know need to be done but we don’t want to do. This resolution could probably spill over into our personal/collective lives as well.

My next gardener resolution would be to try something different. This year at our farm, it was too late to start cabbage seeds to generate transplants, so we looked for a different crop. Here is where Chinese cabbage entered the scene. Fall was our first time to plant Chinese cabbage, and it was a hit. First of all, they are a beautiful plant of about 2 feet in diameter with giant green leaves. In addition, they didn’t have any issues with disease or pests. Then on top of that, we got these giant 8 to 10 pounds heads of cabbage. It was a win-win. So, Chinese cabbage will definitely be on our crop list for 2025. Bottom line, try something new. Maybe what’s new for you is green beans or cantaloupe or pumpkins. Just give it a shot. All you have to lose is the cost of some seeds and who knows, you might find your new favorite crop.

I think I mentioned this last year, but we all probably need to do a better job of cleaning our garden tools. I know I am guilty of not cleaning them like I should. I mean, it’s hot, and we are drenched with sweat after working in the garden and the last thing we want to do is clean our tools. But tools aren’t cheap and the better we take care of them, the better they will work and the longer they will last. By cleaning our tools, I mean washing off the dirt rather than letting it build up and then giving them a shot of WD40 and rubbing that around with a paper towel. And if you’ve been pruning plants, it’s not a bad idea to wipe it down with a disinfectant wipe. This will help minimize any potential spread of disease that could be caused by your pruners. These are simple things; we just need to do them.

Next consider adding some plants specifically for the pollinators rather than using our typical criteria…that’s pretty. I have a friend who dedicated part of his garden to milkweed recently and he’s always talking about seeing the Monarch butterflies and their caterpillars. For those who don’t know, milkweed is the primary plant Monarch butterflies seek out on which to deposit their eggs. No milkweed… no Monarchs. Recent news has shown a pretty serious decline in the Monarch population, so every little bit of milkweed helps. Dill and fennel are also good pollinator plants in that they are sought out by butterflies such as the black swallowtail.

If you are not sure about what makes a good pollinator plant, our annual online plant sale/fundraiser begins in mid-February. In this sale we will have over 250 plants to choose from and we sort them into categories to make shopping easier for you. One of those categories is Pollinator Plants. In this grouping we’ll have a selection of plants that are great for supporting our local pollinating insects as well as a selection of milkweed plants to help the monarch butterflies. We’ll talk more about the sale later, just mark your calendars for mid-February.

Th next resolution may be just for me, but I don’t think so. This year I hope to get my irrigation system more organized. Typically, I am a hand waterer. I like being out in the garden, providing my plants with their water needs. Hand watering is a great way to spend some casual time outdoors while keeping an eye on your plants. However, the last two summers convinced me that I need to install some sort of automated drip irrigation system for at least the months of July and August. So, I’ll be shopping for tubing, emitters, and some sort of timer. This way I can run individual lines to the hanging plants along with my vegetables. We’ll see if this year is the year I finally do it. See you in the garden!

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: OSU Ag. Comm.