Get Ready for Spring Planting in Winter
2025-01-26
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1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.
2In many parts of the world, winter brings cold temperatures and, in some places, snowfall.
3For people who like planting things, gardening may seem far away.
4However, during winter weather, there are still things a gardener can do to prepare for the spring.
5Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about such preparatory tasks for the Associated Press.
6We can also call these tasks "prep work."
7First let's talk about seeds.
8If you have seed packets, she suggests checking their expiration date.
9That is the date by which they go "bad" or will not grow.
10Damiano says the seeds are usually considered "fresh" within a year of being packaged.
11But they can be used for longer than that.
12However, you cannot be sure if the seeds are still good just by looking at a date.
13She suggests testing them.
14To do this, she places several seeds on a wet paper towel and then puts that into a plastic container.
15In about 10 days, she will look to see how many seeds have sprouted.
16This gives her an idea of how many seeds to use to get the desired number of plants.
17However, if less than 50 percent of the seeds sprout, she throws them away.
18Damiano tests her old seeds in the winter before the busy spring gardening season.
19That is when seed and plant stores, or nurseries, can run out of seeds.
20She also inspects her gardening equipment.
21For example, if you use grow lights - lights especially made for plants - make sure they still work. You might have to buy new bulbs.
22Damiano brings out her grow lights and inspects each bulb.
23If necessary, she will order replacement bulbs.
24That way she is prepared to plant at any time, even six to eight weeks in the future.
25She also makes sure she has sterile seed-starting potting mix.
26This is special soil for planting in containers.
27Damiano sharpens her cutting tools, such as pruning shears.
28Larger tools like lawnmowers should be inspected every year.
29Like nurseries, places that service lawn equipment might be busier in the spring.
30You can get ahead of the crowd by getting your tools fixed early.
31Clean your gardening hand tools, like trowels and spades.
32Cover them lightly with oil. This will help keep them in good working order.
33Inspect things like hoses, sprinklers and other water systems for damage.
34Make a list of anything you may need to replace or repair.
35Damiano says that you could wait until spring to take care of all these things-but why?
36Once spring arrives, you will have these tasks done.
37And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo.
1From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report. 2In many parts of the world, winter brings cold temperatures and, in some places, snowfall. For people who like planting things, gardening may seem far away. 3However, during winter weather, there are still things a gardener can do to prepare for the spring. Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about such preparatory tasks for the Associated Press. We can also call these tasks "prep work." 4Testing seeds 5First let's talk about seeds. 6If you have seed packets, she suggests checking their expiration date. That is the date by which they go "bad" or will not grow. Damiano says the seeds are usually considered "fresh" within a year of being packaged. But they can be used for longer than that. 7However, you cannot be sure if the seeds are still good just by looking at a date. She suggests testing them. 8To do this, she places several seeds on a wet paper towel and then puts that into a plastic container. In about 10 days, she will look to see how many seeds have sprouted. 9This gives her an idea of how many seeds to use to get the desired number of plants. However, if less than 50 percent of the seeds sprout, she throws them away. 10Damiano tests her old seeds in the winter before the busy spring gardening season. That is when seed and plant stores, or nurseries, can run out of seeds. 11Inspect and care for equipment 12She also inspects her gardening equipment. 13For example, if you use grow lights - lights especially made for plants - make sure they still work. You might have to buy new bulbs. 14Damiano brings out her grow lights and inspects each bulb. If necessary, she will order replacement bulbs. That way she is prepared to plant at any time, even six to eight weeks in the future. 15She also makes sure she has sterile seed-starting potting mix. This is special soil for planting in containers. 16Damiano sharpens her cutting tools, such as pruning shears. Larger tools like lawnmowers should be inspected every year. Like nurseries, places that service lawn equipment might be busier in the spring. You can get ahead of the crowd by getting your tools fixed early. 17Clean your gardening hand tools, like trowels and spades. Cover them lightly with oil. This will help keep them in good working order. 18Inspect things like hoses, sprinklers and other water systems for damage. Make a list of anything you may need to replace or repair. 19Damiano says that you could wait until spring to take care of all these things-but why? Once spring arrives, you will have these tasks done. 20And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo. 21Jessica Damiano reported this story for The Associated Press from New York. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English. 22__________________________________________ 23Words in This Story 24task -n. a job or work that needs to be done 25packet -n. a paper envelope that contains small things like seeds 26expiration -n. the point at which something is no longer usable 27package -v. to put a product in any one of many kinds of containers for sale to the public 28sprouted -adj. a seed that has begun to send out early leaves 29bulb -n. a round lighting device 30sterile -adj. something that does not have any microorganisms in it