We are now in January and we celebrate the
beginning of a new year. Let us begin in our
turn with the fertility customs handed down to us by
our grandparents.
If you live in a place of lost customs, just adopt those of some other
area. We put in a plate all the fruits of our land, walnuts, potatoes,
beans, corn, wheat etc and before we cut the new year’s cake, we scatter
them to all four directions and share wishes for health, love, solidarity,
ample crops, joy, fertility, diversity etc.
Before Epiphany, make some cakes and throw them on the roof of
your house or on some spot in your garden for elves and pixies to feast
upon.
Then on Epiphany day, take some holy water from church and spray
your land, animals, house etc.
Let us create our own plant nursery. In January we shall start a
nursery for our spring vegetables. If we do not have a heated greenhouse,
we can do this indoors. We must take care to have warmth, humidity
and direct light for the seeds. We can sow tomatoes, capsicum,
eggplants, lettuce etc.
Our nursery can be made in waste plastic cups (reuse) or in commercial
nursery cups for plants.
We fill the cups with old manure or commercial planting soil and
place three or four seeds in each, covering them carefully with very
little soil for they are tiny. Water them and place the cups by the window.
When the seeds sprout, they need to be exposed to sunlight in order
to grow.
Within two or two and a half months, depending on their species,
our plants are ready to be pricked out. Mind that their stem should
have acquired the thickness of a pencil for them in order to be transplanted.
Prepare for our own compost: January is also a good month for
gathering material for our compost, fallen leaves from trees, shrubs,
olive groves or wilted plants and scraps of vegetables from kitchen and garden.
By making our own compost we make good use of organic garden and home material that
would otherwise go to waste. We have our own free organic fertilizer, while following Nature’s
cycles at the same time.
Pruning and planting. January is the month for pruning, apple,
peach, almond, pear, olive trees, vines etc.
We take care to protect our sensitive plants of frosts.
January is also the month of planting bare-root trees: apple, pear,
plum, fig, walnut, apricot trees etc. as well as bare-root rose bushes or
branches from rose-tree pruning.
In January we can propagate our chrysanthemums as well as remove
dead plants and branches.
We continue spreading ash in the garden to keep off slugs and
snails.
If we have a little pond in our garden, we clean it of fallen leaves,
stones etc.
Finally, let us remember that in Greece, as in many other countries,
there are various climatic zones. For instance, Peliti, in Messochori of
Paranesti by Drama, has a difference of ten days in temperature from
Nikiphoros that also belongs to the municipality of Paranesti, while
there is a difference of 20 days between our village and Drama as regards
our garden works.
Consequently, you must adapt your garden works to your local climatic
conditions. In case of doubt, ask your neighboring farmers; they
are sure to know, and besides, it is an opportunity for you to get to
know them better.