As the seasons turn, so does the gardener's clock. Embrace the ebb and flow of nature's cycles with "A Regenerative Gardener’s Calendar," your essential guide to cultivate a thriving garden throughout the year.
This calendar isn't just about planting and harvesting; it's a renewable timeline for those committed to nurturing the land sustainably and harmoniously.
Each month, you’ll find key practices that will breathe life into your soil and respect the environment. From the first bloom of spring to the quiet reflection of winter, this calendar is a guideline to your sustainable intentions and your commitment to the earth. In this way, your garden yields more than just crops - it also produces a legacy of health for our planet.
From the fresh promise of spring to the quiet reflection of winter, our calendar is a journey of intention, a commitment to the earth that yields more than just crops—it yields a legacy of health for our planet.
We’ll dive deep into the rich loam of no-till, permaculture, and organic techniques to offer you a year-long saga of growth and abundance. You'll learn not only what to do but when—a strategy for sowing, reaping, and loving the land that sustains us.
🎯 New Year; New Goals: Pick an area of focus for your regenerative garden this year. Maybe that is growing more perennials, adding another pollinator patch, or harvesting enough of a certain crop to be self-sufficient. Then, write down 8-10 things you can do in order to ensure your success in this sustainable goal.
🌱 Seed Inventory: Make sure that you’re not missing any seeds that you’re planning on growing. Order anything you’re lacking from a local seed company.
🌡️ Cold Stratification: If you’re starting any perennials from seed, it’s likely that they’ll need a period of cold stratification in order for germination to be successful. Perennials are a must-have for the regenerative garden, since they have the capacity to capture more carbon than annuals. Get our full guide to which seeds need cold stratification, and for how long.
Seeds I am sowing that need Cold Stratification | Length of Strat Time | Strat Start | Strat End | Germination Time
🧪 Soil Test: If you have never done a soil test, or if it’s been a few years, sending out your soil to get evaluated can be really helpful in determining the true fertilization needs of your garden. January is a great time to send a soil sample out and get results in time before spring planting starts.
🔍 Garden Check-in: Evaluate garden beds for existing mulch coverage, and add mulch to areas that may have broken down enough where the soil is no longer protected.
🌱 Sow: An exciting winter garden task - start cool-weather spring crops indoors in seed trays. Make note of how many modules you’re sowing, and of which crop. Record keeping will help you see how much you need to sow to get the harvests of the upcoming season, so you can adjust accordingly next year.
📋 Prepare: Check all garden tools for signs of wear. Sharpen blades, oil moving parts, and replace or repair anything that is damaged. Check trellises, stakes, and supports and make repairs or replacements as necessary.
✨ Organize: Tidy up your storage space. Be sure everything is accessible for the busy season ahead.
🔍 Compost Check-in: If you don’t already have a compost pile going, make plans to start one as soon as possible. If you do have a pile going, check in on it and see if it needs any turning or adjustments. This will help you build soil organic matter easily.
🍂 Garden Check-in: Apply a nice layer of mulch around perennial plants to protect them during late winter frosts.
🔧 Make any necessary repairs: Take action to make repairs to raised beds, cold frames, fences, sheds, tools, or anything else to get you off on the right foot for the growing season.
📝 Take Inventory: March is a “hunger gap” month - a time when our pantry stores are running low and there’s not much growing yet for us to eat. Take note of food items that you’d like to be eating, and make a note to grow + preserve more of these crops in the upcoming year.
🌱 Sow: Start cool-weather spring crops indoors in seed trays. Make note of how many modules you’re sowing, and of which crop. Record keeping will help you see how much you need to sow to get the harvests of the upcoming season, so you can adjust accordingly next year.
🌼 Diversity: Don’t forget to plant flowers and herbs to attract pollinators and beneficial insects into your garden! Create habitat zones, like birdhouses, bird feeders, bird baths, bee hotels, beetle bumps, and natural hedges.
💧 Water Prep: Inspect irrigation lines, faucets, and nozzles for leaks, clogs, or malfunction to repair.
🔍 Early prevention: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
📋 Prepare: Make a plan on how you’re going to terminate your cover crops - either by manually cutting them back, using a fencepost crimper, or tarping. If you’re nearing your last frost date, get started on this now.
📝 Plan Ahead: Make a note of the last expected frost date and plan your garden activities accordingly.
🍀 Compost Windfall: As you cut back any cover crops that you won’t be leaving in place as a mulch, bring the green material over to your compost bin for a nice boost.
🌱 Sow: Start long-season crops indoors in seed trays. Make note of how many modules you’re sowing, and of which crop. Record keeping will help you see how much you need to sow to get the harvests of the upcoming season, so you can adjust accordingly next year.
🌼 Diversity: Don’t forget to plant flowers and herbs to attract pollinators and beneficial insects into your garden!
💧 Water: April showers bring May flowers - and now’s a great time to add in any additional rain barrels or drip irrigation systems into your property that might not be in place already.
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water. An ounce of prevention is better than a lost harvest.
📋 Prepare: Terminate any cover crops and cut back any remaining plant material in your garden. Use a broadfork to loosen up any soil that still needs improvement.
🌿 Compost Windfall: Seed-free lawn clippings
🌱 Sow + Transplant: Harden off your seedlings and start to plant them outside after your last frost. Direct sow crops, especially peas, beans, and root crops. Keep sowing in modules so that you’ll be able to maximize your harvest with succession sowing.
🍂 Mulch Check-in: Mulch around seedlings to regulate soil temperature, reduce water evaporation, and provide a protective barrier against weeds.
💧 Water: Set up your drip irrigation system as you plant out your crops.
🌼 Diversity: Don’t forget to plant flowers and herbs to attract pollinators and beneficial insects into your garden!
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
📝Make Note: What are you planting, and where? Keep note to make sure you maintain properly rotated crops as you succession sow. Crop rotation will help reduce pest and disease pressure, and is an essential practice in the organic garden.
🌿 Compost Windfall: Seed-free lawn clippings
🍂 Mulch: Keep the soil covered around your transplants and sprouted seeds with mulch to help keep the soil cool and retain water.
🧐 Observe: Are any crop groupings performing well? Make note of your own companion plant findings and continue to rest throughout the year or next year.
💧 Water: Set up your drip irrigation system as you plant out your crops.
📋 Prepare: Make sure you have all the equipment you’ll need to get started with canning, fermenting, freezing, and other preservation methods. This will help you on your path to self-sufficiency.
🌱 Sow: As you continue direct sowing, module sowing, and transplanting edible crops, don’t forget to direct sow a few pollinator patches around your garden to bring in beneficial insects.
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
📝 Make Note: What are you planting, and where? Keep note to make sure you maintain properly rotated crops as you succession sow.
🌿 Compost Windfall: Seed-free lawn clippings
📝 Make Note: How much garlic did you harvest? Which varieties did the best? Do you wish you planted more?
🍂 Mulch: Keep the soil covered around your transplants and sprouted seeds with mulch to help keep the soil cool and retain water. Light colored mulch like organic straw is great for reducing soil temperature. Mulch is a sustainable gardeners best friend!
🌱 Sow: Start sowing your fall crops in modules; and plan out where they’ll go in the garden based on crop rotation principles.
🍅 Harvest: As you harvest crops, chop them back to the ground but leave the roots in place. This will help to build soil health.
📋 Preserve: As you bring in the harvest, don’t let anything go to waste: Preserve anything that you can’t eat fresh. Keep track of how much you preserve (i.e. how many jars of strawberry jam or bags of frozen leeks) to inform future planting strategies.
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
🌿 Compost Windfall: Seed-free lawn clippings
🍂 Mulch: Keep the soil covered around your transplants and sprouted seeds with mulch to help keep the soil cool and retain water.
📋 Plan: Order your garlic seed if necessary, reference your notes from July.
🌱 Sow: Start sowing your fall crops outdoors; decide they’ll go in the garden based on crop rotation principles.
🍅 Harvest: As you harvest crops, chop them back to the ground but leave the roots in place. This will help to build soil health and is a key regenerative practice.
🥫 Preserve: As you bring in the harvest, don’t let anything go to waste: Preserve anything that you can’t eat fresh. Keep track of how much you preserve (i.e. how many jars of strawberry jam or bags of frozen leeks) to inform future planting strategies.
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
🏷️ Save + Label Seeds: Keep your saved seeds organized by labeling them properly for next season.
📋 Plan: Order your garlic seed if necessary, reference your notes from July.
What cover crops will benefit different areas of your garden this year? Check out our cover crop selection guide, and then make sure you have the seeds on hand to sow directly after your harvests this year.
🌱 Sow: Start transplanting or sowing fall crops in modules; and plan out where they’ll go in the garden based on crop rotation principles. OR plant a cover crop in areas where no fall crops will be growing. Mulch around transplants to protect them from chilly autumn nights.
🍅 Harvest: As you harvest crops, chop them back to the ground but leave the roots in place. This will help to build soil health.
🥫Preserve: As you bring in the harvest, don’t let anything go to waste: Preserve anything that you can’t eat fresh. Keep track of how much you preserve (i.e. how many jars of strawberry jam or bags of frozen leeks) to inform future planting strategies.
🔎 Pest Scouting: Check around plants for pests that you can manually remove into a bucket of soapy water.
🌱 Sow: If you haven’t done so already, make sure that your cover crop is sown this month.
🍅 Harvest: As you harvest crops, chop them back to the ground but leave the roots in place. This will help to build soil health.
🥫 Preserve: As you bring in the harvest, don’t let anything go to waste: Preserve anything that you can’t eat fresh. Keep track of how much you preserve (i.e. how many jars of strawberry jam or bags of frozen leeks) to inform future planting strategies.
🍂 Mulch: Anywhere a cover crop isn’t planted, be sure to cover the soil with mulch.
🏷️ Save + Label Seeds: Keep your saved seeds organized by labeling them properly for next season. Your own locally adapted seeds build resilience in your garden.
🍂 Compost Windfall: Leaves! Don’t forget to leave some leaves behind for over-wintering beneficial insects.
💧 Winterize Irrigation: Begin to winterize your irrigation system, draining and insulating to prevent freeze damage.
🔧 Tool Storage: Clean, oil, and store tools properly to prevent rust and damage over the winter. This is an easy way to keep your tools working for years to come.
📝 Evaluate: What went right in the garden this year? What did you do to make those things a success? What do you want to improve next year? What techniques and methods will help you to achieve those goals?
🌱 Sow: Plant your garlic, and mulch it with organic straw or chopped leaves to protect it from extreme cold.
🍅 Harvest: As you harvest crops, chop them back to the ground but leave the roots in place. This will help to build soil health.
🥫 Preserve: As you bring in the harvest, don’t let anything go to waste: Preserve anything that you can’t eat fresh. Keep track of how much you preserve (i.e. how many jars of strawberry jam or bags of frozen leeks) to inform future planting strategies.
📋 Plan: Make a list of the crops and varieties that you want to grow again next year. Plan out your crop rotations, with your recently harvested garden still fresh in your mind. Estimate how many seeds you’ll need to start, or how many seedlings you’ll need to buy, to meet your goals.
🏷️ Save + Label Seeds: Keep your saved seeds organized by labeling them properly for next season.
🍂 Compost Windfall: Leaves! Don’t forget to leave some leaves behind for over-wintering beneficial insects.
✨ Clean Up: December is the perfect time to freshen up parts of the garden before putting everything to bed for a few months.
✅ Winter Garden Task Checklist:
💩 Compost Windfall: Clear out any animal bedding/manure to start a compost pile for next year’s garden
📋 Connect + Plan: Fill out Chipdrop if you live in an urban or suburban environment. If you live in a rural area, you might have difficulty getting a chipdrop delivery. Instead, call up local tree surgeons, arborists, the electric company, or logging companies to see what their process is for offloading woodchips.
A delivery of woodchips can help bulk up your compost pile, create hugelculture beds in the spring, or freshen up your garden paths. While late winter/early spring might be more ideal for a delivery, contacting these folks now will ensure you get on their waiting list early.
🔧 Plan for Repairs: Note any repairs needed and plan to carry them out during the winter or in early spring.
As we draw the curtain on our year in the regenerative garden, we hope you feel empowered and inspired to put these monthly tasks into practice. Remember, each seed you plant, every compost pile you turn, contributes to a larger movement—a future where gardens are more than food sources; they're beacons of sustainability.
Your commitment to regenerative gardening doesn't just enrich the earth beneath your feet; it echoes a message of hope and stewardship to your community and beyond. So, take these lessons from "A Regenerative Gardener’s Calendar" and watch as your patch of green becomes a thriving ecosystem, a testament to the harmonious dance between human and habitat.
Let's keep growing, learning, and regenerating. Your garden is not just a plot of land—it's a living legacy. Until next season, happy gardening!
