VOA健康报道2025--Get Ready for Spring Planting in Winter

From VOA Learning English, this is the Health & Lifestyle report.

In many parts of the world, winter brings cold temperatures and, in some places, snowfall. For people who like planting things, gardening may seem far away.

However, during winter weather, there are still things a gardener can do to prepare for the spring. Gardening expert Jessica Damiano recently wrote about such preparatory tasks for the Associated Press. We can also call these tasks "prep work."

Testing seeds

First let's talk about seeds.

If you have seed packets, she suggests checking their expiration¹ date. That is the date by which they go “bad” or will not grow. Damiano says the seeds are usually considered “fresh” within a year of being packaged. But they can be used for longer than that.

However, you cannot be sure if the seeds are still good just by looking at a date. She suggests testing them.

To do this, she places several seeds on a wet paper towel and then puts that into a plastic container. In about 10 days, she will look to see how many seeds have sprouted³.

This gives her an idea of how many seeds to use to get the desired number of plants. However, if less than 50 percent of the seeds sprout², she throws them away.

Damiano tests her old seeds in the winter before the busy spring gardening season. That is when seed and plant stores, or nurseries, can run out of seeds.

Inspect and care for equipment

She also inspects her gardening equipment.

For example, if you use grow lights — lights especially made for plants — make sure they still work. You might have to buy new bulbs.

Damiano brings out her grow lights and inspects each bulb. If necessary, she will order replacement⁴ bulbs. That way she is prepared to plant at any time, even six to eight weeks in the future.

She also makes sure she has sterile⁵ seed-starting potting mix. This is special soil for planting in containers.

Damiano sharpens her cutting tools, such as pruning⁶ shears⁷. Larger tools like lawnmowers should be inspected every year. Like nurseries, places that service lawn equipment might be busier in the spring. You can get ahead of the crowd by getting your tools fixed⁸ early.

Clean your gardening hand tools, like trowels and spades. Cover them lightly with oil. This will help keep them in good working order.

Inspect things like hoses⁹, sprinklers and other water systems for damage. Make a list of anything you may need to replace or repair.

Damiano says that you could wait until spring to take care of all these things—but why? Once spring arrives, you will have these tasks done.

And that's the Health & Lifestyle report. I'm Anna Matteo.

Jessica Damiano reported this story for The Associated Press from New York. Anna Matteo adapted it for VOA Learning English.

__________________________________________

Words in This Story

task –n. a job or work that needs to be done

packet –n. a paper envelope that contains small things like seeds

expiration –n. the point at which something is no longer usable

package –v. to put a product in any one of many kinds of containers for sale to the public

sprouted –adj. a seed that has begun to send out early leaves

bulb –n. a round lighting¹⁰ device

sterile –adj. something that does not have any microorganisms in it

1 expiration   

n.终结，期满，呼气，呼出物

参考例句：

• Can I have your credit card number followed by the expiration date?能告诉我你的信用卡号码和它的到期日吗?
• This contract shall be terminated on the expiration date.劳动合同期满，即行终止。

2 sprout   

n.芽，萌芽；vt.使发芽，摘去芽；vi.长芽，抽条

参考例句：

• When do deer first sprout horns?鹿在多大的时候开始长出角？
• It takes about a week for the seeds to sprout.这些种子大约要一周后才会发芽。

3 sprouted   

v.发芽( sprout的过去式和过去分词 )；抽芽；出现；（使）涌现出

参考例句：

• We can't use these potatoes; they've all sprouted. 这些土豆儿不能吃了，都出芽了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• The rice seeds have sprouted. 稻种已经出芽了。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

4 replacement   

n.取代，替换，交换；替代品，代用品

参考例句：

• We are hard put to find a replacement for our assistant.我们很难找到一个人来代替我们的助手。
• They put all the students through the replacement examination.他们让所有的学生参加分班考试。

5 sterile   

adj.不毛的，不孕的，无菌的，枯燥的，贫瘠的

参考例句：

• This top fits over the bottle and keeps the teat sterile.这个盖子严实地盖在奶瓶上，保持奶嘴无菌。
• The farmers turned the sterile land into high fields.农民们把不毛之地变成了高产田。

6 pruning   

n.修枝，剪枝，修剪v.修剪（树木等）( prune的现在分词 )；精简某事物，除去某事物多余的部分

参考例句：

• In writing an essay one must do a lot of pruning. 写文章要下一番剪裁的工夫。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• A sapling needs pruning, a child discipline. 小树要砍，小孩要管。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

7 shears   

n.大剪刀

参考例句：

• These garden shears are lightweight and easy to use.这些园丁剪刀又轻又好用。
• With a few quick snips of the shears he pruned the bush.他用大剪刀几下子就把灌木给修剪好了。

8 fixed   

adj.固定的，不变的，准备好的；(计算机)固定的

参考例句：

• Have you two fixed on a date for the wedding yet?你们俩选定婚期了吗？
• Once the aim is fixed,we should not change it arbitrarily.目标一旦确定，我们就不应该随意改变。

9 hoses   

n.连裤袜( hose的名词复数 )；长统袜；软管；胶管

参考例句：

• The fireman trained their hoses on the burning building. 消防队员把水龙带对准燃烧的建筑物。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Are there any fire hoses in the building? 在这幢大楼里有消防水管吗？ 来自《简明英汉词典》

10 lighting   

n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光

参考例句：

• The gas lamp gradually lost ground to electric lighting.煤气灯逐渐为电灯所代替。
• The lighting in that restaurant is soft and romantic.那个餐馆照明柔和而且浪漫。