On rainy days it is tempting to bundle up inside with a cup of tea and your favourite movie. In weeks where the rain persists it is helpful to know of some productive garden tasks you can still achieve, without getting too soggy of course!
Create a planting plan- Spend this time organising what you want to plant for the upcoming season. It can be helpful to set some succession planting dates too, this will ensure that you avoid those wasteful gluts of produce and instead have a consistent supply all year long.
Set up a Hydroponic garden- Indoor hydroponics are great for those rainy days as you can start your crops from the convenience of your kitchen counter. Sow the seeds and top the reservoir up with water. Plug in the light and leave it to grow!
Preserve your crops- Harvesting crops when they are ready will avoid harbouring pest and diseases in your garden and depending on the time of year you may have an abundance of veggies to utilise. Winter veggies such as spinach, peas and broccoli can be frozen and stored for later. Summer crops such as tomato and chilli made into sauces and chutneys are just delicious.
Organise your seed stash- It is important to keep your seeds safe in a cool dark area to preserve their viability. Take this time to go through your stash and declutter anything that is well past its use by date (a sow by date is printed on the back). Organise the seeds in drawers or containers based on season or in alphabetical order, whichever you find most useful.
Sharpen your tools- A rainy day is a great time to maintain your garden tools and will ensure they last for many years. Clean off any mud and soil and make sure the tools are nice and dry. Oil your secateurs, loppers and knives and carefully sharpen the blades with a diamond sharpener.
Create a worm farm- Start up a small worm farm undercover. You can create one from scratch with an old bathtub or a food grade IBC tote. Otherwise, you can purchase a ready-made system from your local garden supply store. Fill the base with a bedding material such as coir and stock it up with your red wriggler worms and food scraps.
Start a tray of sprouts or microgreens-Thankfully, microgreens and sprouts can be grown indoors no matter the weather and are a great project to get started. Compared to outdoor crops they take no time at all grow and will provide some great colour and flavour to your meals.
Sow your seeds- Heavy rainfall can wash away small seeds so start up some seedling trays undercover or indoors in a bright area. Most crops are excellent started in coco fibre pots or seed trays, just avoid some of those root veggies like carrots and parsnip which will need to be direct sown.
Refresh your indoor plants- Now is a great opportunity to refresh your indoor plant collection. Wipe off any dust on the plants (or pop them outside to let the rain wash it off) and prune off any dead leaves. Repot your older plants into a larger container to ensure they have enough room to flourish. Prune any of your vining plants as necessary and pop the cuttings in some water to propagate.
Replenish your garden supplies- While it is raining and the ground is soddened have a look over your garden supplies to make sure you have what you need for the upcoming season. Take stock of your fertilisers, mulches, seeds and compost so that you can keep your plants happy and healthy. Plus who doesn’t love a trip down to the local garden centre to restock!
