Extending the
Season
Catherine
Love
Autumn is here,
and for some, the end of the gardening season is
nearing. Though cool weather is a welcome blessing in
most cases, it isn't always good for the garden.
Extending the gardening season by using some garden
helpers is one way to continue to garden even when the
weather isn't optimal.
Cold Frames are
one way to stretch the garden season. There are a
variety of different cold frames, and plans can be found
free online. My favorite cold frame uses a very simple
method- bales of hay, with old windows placed on top.
The hay will keep out cold winds and frost; the windows
will do the same, and also allow much needed sunlight to
reach your plants. A cold frame can be used all during
the Autumn, Winter, and even into Spring when you can
use it to start new seedlings. Just be careful to remove
the windows on warm days so you don't overheat your
plants.
Floating Row
Cover is another way to extend things a bit. On nights
when a frost is predicted, place the row cover over
tender plants to protect them. Once it warms up, just
roll it up and it will be ready for the next cold snap.
You can purchase
small greenhouse-type structures now that are very
inexpensive. These come in handy to use for container
grown herbs and vegetables that need some protection.
Placed on a porch or other protected spot, they will
keep frost and damaging winds off your
plants.
One of my favorite fellow
bloggers, Grandma
Rosie, shared a neat idea. She
grows lettuce in pots and when cold weather sets in, she
brings it indoors as a houseplant. She says it grows
well inside; and what easier way to have fresh greens
for winter salads could there be?
Once the weather
outside doesn't allow for gardening; continue to extend
the season by moving things inside. Quite a few herbs
and such will grow happily indoors, as long as they get
adequate light from either a sunny window or fluorescent
lighting. Pepper plants are perennials, and I've had
some luck growing them indoors. I purchased seed last
year for Microgreens, colorful salad sprouts;
which are just a mix of beets, radish, cabbage,
kohlrabi, and broccoli. The packet said to plant them in
a window box and snip the greens to top salads or main
dishes. It might be interesting to let them grow and see
if they would mature indoors.
For even more advice on
extending the season, Four Season
Harvest, by Eliot Coleman is an
excellent resource. I saw another book on the
Four Season
Farm website, titled
Winter Harvest
Manual. That one might be good,
too.
Whether you use
a cold frame, row cover, greenhouse, or just move your
gardening indoors; there is always a way to keep things
growing, even when it's cold outside!
Catherine
Love lives in Texas with her husband, Carl,
and three daughters, Sarah, Hannah, and Cana. Visit her
blog to read about their
adventures in gardening and other homestead and
homeschool activities.
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