BC Nature Study: Outdoor Education Am I prepared for winter?

Am I prepared for winter?

The cold weather is definitely here with night time temperatures of -12•c and daytime temperatures barely reaching 0•c.  The sun is shining and we did not get any of the promised snow but the winds were blustery and cold.

There is a mental list that I go through every fall to make sure that everything is done to prepare for winter.  The time of year will vary in different parts of our province.  Here in my area of the Cariboo the end of September and the 1^st week of October is the time to have most of these chores completed.

The last of the tomatoes from the greenhouse have been gathered- ripe ones are eaten right away, ones that have started to colour are put in one basket and covered with newspaper and left in a cool dark place.  They will ripen over the next few weeks.  Totally green tomatoes are treated the same way and will ripen over the coming month.  There are also lots of recipes for delicious ways to use green tomatoes.

The last of the herbs that have been protected under Remay cloth from light frosts are harvested, used fresh and dried and the jellies and preserves are on the shelf.

The sunflower heads are cut and dried and will be put out for the birds over the winter.

The garlic has been planted, mulched with leaves and covered with Remay cloth,  Russian walking onions, chives, and other hardy herbs have been mulched with leaves or shredded branches.

The rain barrels are emptied, hoses, and outdoor facets have been drained and shut down for the winter.  The critters winter water dish is in place, it is filled daily with fresh water.  The Piliated Woodpecker could not wait this morning and chipped off ice slivers to eat.

The potted cedar trees are buried in mulch in the greenhouse.

Tender plants are inside, some on windowsills and others under grow lights.  Cuttings and some lettuce seedling are growing.

The first 2-week micro greens have provided a fresh salad for dinner.  The trailer is tucked away until next spring.  Lots of time to make plans for travel in 2024.

With the cold weather everything in the ground is dormant and it is a perfect time to be raking in the forest and along the pathways.  The bulky branches and cones are raked up leaving needles, leaves and annual plants to decompose and produce soil and add nutrition to the forest floor.  The branches will be shredded to provide mulch for the garden and trees next spring.  I will enjoy the afternoons in the coming week to continue my raking and cleaning up.

The last task is lots of fun!  It is time to carve the Halloween jack-o-lanterns.