winter gardening

Wednesday I planted my winter crop. I'm just curious how many of you folks grow greens during the colder months. Mustards, collards, turnips, rudabagas, all are frost hardy plants that thrive during our colder growing season when bugs are less a nuisance. My summer crops add nutrients to the soil that my winter crops use, and in turn they add nutrients that the summer crops need.

I'm also curious how much weight you guys put on planting/harvesting by the almanac. The moon and signs were perfect on wednesday for planting root crops, so that was the day I chose, even after working all day, then working hides that evening. I use the almanac to plant and harvest and store my crops, religiously.

thanks for all inputs in advance. I know a lot of you live in colder climates and might not have a winter growing season, but heck, my aunt lives in alaska and she grows food until the coldest part of winter, so I'd like to hear from anyone else that does too.

Thanks for the reminder. I have some collards still growing for over a year at my old house they flowered this summer. Think there is any hope of transplanting them at my new home or should I just grow some more from seed?

My winter crop usually goes in the ground in late August. We've already had a couple of hard freezes in Indiana and most of my plants have had the tops frozen. I'll be cleaning the rest out of the garden this week. Not much grows below freezing.

As to the almanac, yes, I have an affection for it. My grandfather and father always planted it by it but I don't. The only thing I truly keep sacred is planting my lettuce, spinach and radishes on Valentine's Day. Even if snow is on the ground the seed gets scattered.

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Originally Posted by COWBOYSURVIVAL

Thanks for the reminder. I have some collards still growing for over a year at my old house they flowered this summer. Think there is any hope of transplanting them at my new home or should I just grow some more from seed?

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I've never tried moving them, I usually just till them under for summer crops. If they flowered though, you should be able to collect the seeds and just start new plants.

A tip for transplanting, is to keep as much of the dirt around the root as possible. that helps reduce the shock of the plant and won't break off the tiny 'hair roots' that are in there. when I transplant non-garden type plants I do it in Libra and have had a fair amount of success, even with trees.

We just planted: carrots, lettuce, peas and brocoli. Well, that's what you plant down here, in the winter.

there are only a couple weeks here most years with really hard frosts.

till then, i've got in spinach, chard, basil, etc.

i want to put more in but i haven't got much soil ready in my new place.

i run crops any time i can.

wish I could garden in winter, but snow measured in feet destroys that notion

Yeah, what can I grow in snow? Besides yellow snow cones.

Indoor herb garden, or if your have the room, some indoor container gardening or hydroponics.

Carrots do really well indoors. Tomatoes do crappy, though.

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Originally Posted by Chris

wish I could garden in winter, but snow measured in feet destroys that notion

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Yeah.. i noticed that too!

I still have carrots, turnips and parsnips in the garden. But then it's over until I start plants inside in the spring.

well... I've got 3" sprouts and no call for snow.
for those of you that do get snow, I found this simply as a suggestion. We dont have any real reason for greenhouses this far south, as there are plants that grow well here during the cold months. That said, the only recommendation I may add to the information, is to build it higher than the estimated snow depth, and use black material on the walls to absorb heat. Some of you guys live so far north that even this won't help. My aunt lives in AK and 3 months of very little sunlight doesn't bode well with any plant.

I know, I know... building things costs money, but if you build one, you could probably save that much in a few years by offsetting the cost of groceries.
One other thing to think about ... your garden space (mine is 50 x 50 feet) is now measured vertically.

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Originally Posted by crashdive123

Indoor herb garden, or if your have the room, some indoor container gardening or hydroponics.

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i've always wanted to try something small inside ( veggies )
would regular sunlight from a window be enough
or would i need some of those special hydroponic lights ?

I planted a combination of kale, rape and turnip greens about 8 weeks ago. They came up great, but the deer are working them over. I have never had herbivory problems before, but I am not sure I will even get one meal of this 40' x 60' garden.

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Originally Posted by Swamprat1958

I planted a combination of kale, rape and turnip greens about 8 weeks ago. They came up great, but the deer are working them over. I have never had herbivory problems before, but I am not sure I will even get one meal of this 40' x 60' garden.

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Shoot the deer...instant meal and many more!!!

CG, in most cases, no. There isn't enough sunlight unless you have a large south facing window. Some garden vegetables do really well indoors and some don't. You can plant things like carrots in a container in the spring and then bring the container in when a chance of frost is forecast. I had carrots all winter long last year and will be bring them in this year within the next couple of weeks.

Winter sun is really low in the sky and I think that has a huge affect on garden plants grown indoors. Just my opinion, however.

Airflow is usually a problem too. I used 48" cool white flourescent shop lights to grow muskmelon and tomatos. The plants grew fine but never produced fruit. Presumably because there were no bees to pollenate them??

That would be my guess. You can use Q-tips to replace the bees and manually pollinate the plants.

that's a tricky question that depends on several things.

did the tomatoes flower? how long did the flowers remain on the plant?

CG - I've only done herbs indoors, and light through the window was fine for it.

rwc - you probably have to do as Rick suggested and manually pollinate the plants.