How to convince fresh vegetables from the garden all winter long

How to convince fresh vegetables from the garden all winter long

Fall often marks the end of home grown vegetables from the garden, but with a little ingenuity you can harvest fresh produce from the garden well into winter. My garden in central Pennsylvania continues to provide fresh vegetables through the fall and winter, when most gardeners in my growing region are content to dream of the abundance of the coming summer. Read on to discover simple tricks that will fortify your garden against the onslaught of freezing weather.

Fall often offers short cold spells with a few frost-filled mornings interspersed between weeks of milder, frost-free conditions. The problem is that a single touch of frost can kill all the tender annuals in the garden. Fortunately, a little protection will allow frost-sensitive vegetables and herbs to survive a cold snap and will reward the resourceful gardener with the opportunity to enjoy long harvests.

Something as simple as sheer, hairy, floating row covers used to protect plants from harmful insects can also prevent frost damage. Row covers trap the heat radiated from the ground in much the same way that a cloud cover maintains temperatures and prevents frost. Row covers offer some degrees of protection, keeping young annuals safe from light frost. Use the thickest grade covers for maximum benefit.

spinach

Late summer is the ideal time to plant cold-tolerant vegetables that will bloom in the fall and endure cold weather without complaint. Examples of hardy vegetables for fall gardening include: kale, spinach, collard greens, broccoli, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, kohlrabi, turnips, cabbages, oriental greens, kohlrabi, and some varieties of lettuce.

Cardboard boxes and fruit baskets can provide shelter for individual plants, while sheets, blankets, and heavy plastic tarps will protect entire rows or beds of plants. Apply coatings at night when frost is forecast and remove the next morning after the sun warms the air.

shelter for individual plants

Another effective solution is to use a commercial variety of hood or to install a portable cold frame over the garden bed. Bells include heavy glass, bell-shaped jars, or rigid plastic devices of different styles and shapes.

A cool frame style consists of a tubular frame covered in a woven polyester material with flaps for ventilation. You can also get sturdier cold frames made with aluminum frames and double-walled polycarbonate panels that lift up for ventilation. Regardless of the type of protection used to cover your plants, you should remove it or provide ventilation during the day as temperatures rise.

Resourceful gardeners can combine some discarded window sash and straw bales to create a simple makeshift cold frame. Simply arrange the straw bales in a rectangular shape around a garden bed and place the windows on top to form an enclosed, secluded growing area. This setting will work great for keeping a bed of leafy greens growing through the winter.

Interestingly, water can protect and insulate plants from the cold. Commercial orchards actually spray water and mist on their trees to prevent frost damage.

In your home garden, you can use gallon-size plastic jugs filled with water for protection. Place containers around plants, under floating tarps or row covers, and inside their cold frames.

You will get the best results by painting the jars black so that they absorb more energy from the sun during the day.

Swiss chard

Certain vegetables will survive on their own in the garden through intense cold conditions. Leeks, kale, and Swiss chard often endure harsh winters without any protection. Garlic and shallots planted in the fall will develop strong root systems in the fall, overwinter underground, and then sprout at the first signs of spring.

Many root crops, such as beets, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and parsnips, arethey can be left in the garden protected with a thick layer of shredded leaves or straw. You can then continue harvesting as needed, as long as the soil doesn't freeze and you avoid digging. However, complete your harvest before spring arrives, as the quality will degrade once the roots resume growth and switch to seed production mode.

Just implement a few of the ideas presented in this article, and soon you'll be enjoying your own fresh, home-grown produce much longer than usual, possibly even year-round.