These 7 Quick Winter Garden Jobs Will Save You 40 Hours in Spring – Even If It’s Freezing Outside

As winter sets in, gardeners dream of spring. Yet, while you may be anticipating the joys of the garden, you may also be dreading the chores. But what if you could get some of those chores done now and save yourself hours of work later, when all you want to do is get your hands in the dirt?

While your garden plants lie dormant, get a jump start on spring gardening tasks and save time later. From prepping your tools to getting seeds organized, there’s a lot you can do for the spring garden right now.

1. Do a Final Debris Cleanup

If you can finish garden cleanup before the snow falls, you’ll save yourself hours of time in spring. How long this chore takes depends on the size of your garden. It could be one to several hours. Rake up and bag leaves to make leaf mold, or add them to the compost pile. Alternatively, you can use leaves to mulch plants.

A pop-up foldable leaf-collecting bag, like this one on Amazon, makes the job of raking and transporting leaves so much easier.

Trim up and compost spent perennials. Some types can remain intact over winter. For instance, leaving coneflower seedheads in place supports native birds by providing a food source. Do clean up leaves, though, as they can get moldy or transmit disease.

2. Water Plants Deeply

Plants generally don’t need to be watered in winter, but there are exceptions. There are benefits to a good, deep watering during dry winter spells if you live in a warmer climate that doesn’t get much – or any – snow.

In any climate, evergreen plants can benefit from an occasional deep watering in winter, especially younger plants still getting established. Do this now, and your plants will be healthier and need less water in spring. Just be sure to water plants only when you are not expecting a hard freeze right after. Spend several minutes on each plant that could benefit from water to save this time in early spring.

Take the worry out of when to water with a soil moisture meter, like this 4-in-1 design from Amazon, which also checks temperature, pH, and light intensity.

3. Clean and Sharpen Your Tools

You can do this chore at any time during the winter. Bring your tools into a warm area, like a mudroom or basement, where you can comfortably clean and sharpen them. Clean each tool thoroughly with soap and water. Let them dry and oil the metal components. Sharpen edges on shears, pruners, spades, and shovels. This chore should take no more than an hour, but it will help ensure you’re ready to go in spring.

For an involved sharpening session, the DMT DiaSharp Diamond Mini-Hone Sharpening Kit, available on Amazon, which contains coarse, fine, and extra-fine grit sharpeners, is ideal for sharpening pruners, knives, loppers, shovels, and more. After sharpening metal parts, apply 3-IN-ONE Multi-Purpose Oil to prevent rust.

4. Inventory and Order Seeds

Winter is a great time for garden planning. If you start plants from seeds, now is the time to get them in order. Check the seeds you have and get rid of any that are no longer viable. Different seeds have different lifespans, but most are only viable for around four to five years when stored properly.

Store leftover packets in a seed storage container, like this Toyo steel seed storage box from Terrain, so you can find everything easily when sowing starts.

If you’re not sure if seeds are viable, test them by trying to sprout a few on a damp paper towel. Keep them moist and warm, and if they haven’t sprouted in a week or so, toss them.

Organize what you have left using labeled envelopes. With an updated inventory, you can determine what seeds you still need. Order them so they will arrive in plenty of time for starting in late winter or early spring. Depending on the state of your seed collection, this chore might take one or two hours.

5. Organize Your Shed

Another organizing chore you can tackle before spring is your garden shed, if you have one. This chore might be a little chilly unless you have a space heater, like this Amazon Basics model. If so, be careful with it. Don’t leave it unattended and always use an outlet, never a power strip.

Getting your shed in order could take an hour or more, depending on its state. Doing this now will save you time in spring because everything will already be in its place. If you have time, you can even come up with new storage solutions.

A simple metal storage rack, like this Project Source 5 -Tier Heavy Duty Black Metal Utility shelving unit with Wire Shelves from Lowe's, can transform a cluttered shed into a functional workspace.

Hang tools neatly using wall-mount tool hooks, like the Sttoraboks Multi-tool hanger.

6. Tackle Lawn Chores

If you live in a climate with minimal snow or if you have a long stretch without snow, you may be able to get some work done on your lawn. Now is not the time to fertilize, water, or overseed, but you can do other chores that will prep your turf for a healthy growing season.

For example, you can spend some time dethatching if you haven’t done this chore for a few years. A thin layer of thatch is good – it helps hold moisture in the soil and protects grass in cold snaps. But consider dethatching when the layer grows thicker than half an inch (1 cm). Spend as much time on this chore as you have. Doing the whole yard might take a couple of days, but even spending a few hours on it will get you ahead for spring.

For heavy thatch, the Tiectown electric dethatcher and scarifier, available on Amazon, is far faster than a manual rake.

7. Make Repairs

If the weather allows, make repairs to any structures in the garden that you would otherwise put off until spring. Fix a rotten board in a fence; shore up raised beds; or make repairs to trellises and arbors. If you need a new trellis entirely, this Wayfair wooden trellis has great reviews and suits most garden styles.

The amount of time these chores take will vary, but they will definitely save time come spring.

Pick and choose from this list of simple garden chores that you can do in winter. The more you do now, the more time you’ll have in spring to do the jobs you really love.