For many gardeners, wintertime signals and end to the joys of gardening while the Earth recuperates under a layer of frost or snow. For the serious gardener, winter merely signals a change of location- indoors.

Indoor Gardening
Indoor gardening can take place in a traditional outdoor greenhouse, a window greenhouse, or in your basement. Greenhouses come in a variety of shapes, sizes, and materials…making greenhouses a good fit for nearly any space.

Indoor gardening calls for a special set of indoor gardening supplies.

Winter Nursery Supplies Checklist
Winter nursery supplies differ from summer nursery supplies in many ways. Winter sunlight hours are reduced, and temperatures plummet, making sunlight and warmth two of the most difficult variables to control when growing plants during the winter.  Winter gardening supplies you may need are:

• Grow lights
• Heating system
• Winter work gloves
• Plastic sheeting for protection against strong winds and cooler temperatures
• Timers for grow lights
• Benches and shelving to keep plants up and away from the frigid ground
• Gentle ventilation to inhibit heat loss but encourage air movement
• Cold frames
• Portable or pop-up greenhouses
• Extra thermometers to spot check temperatures near planting areas
• Irrigation supplies to make up reduced water consumption in cooler temperatures
• Guide books for growing winter plants

Specific gardening supplies vary from gardener to gardener, but this list will provide a framework for creating your own winter nursery supplies checklist.

Winter Gardening Tips
Even if you don’t have access to a greenhouse, you can extend your gardening hobby well into the winter months with the use of cold frames and pop-up or portable greenhouses.  These items can be placed directly over plants in your backyard garden, extending your growing season beyond the first frost and even into the weeks of early snowfall.

Experimenting with winter gardening is nearly risk free since your plants would ordinarily die with the coming of the first frost. Trial and error tests that result in the death of a plant are only knowledge gleaning experiences since even a few extra days of extended growing are better than nothing.

Most plants will continue to grow as long as air temperatures remain above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and the soil remains unfrozen. Frequent temperature checks of your cold frames and portable greenhouses will help you better monitor the growing conditions of your winter nursery. A little common sense troubleshooting and imagination will help you become a successful winter gardener.

Winter nursery supplies and gardening supplies can easily be adapted to help you enjoy your love of gardening all year long.