INTRODUCTION TIMING SITE PREPARATION AND LOCATION

Gardeners in the Pacific Northwest are The biggest challenge to winter lucky enough to be able to grow In the northwest, abundant rain can is timing. Many seeds must drown winter . Make sure your all winter long. Early planning and planting be planted when our summer are essential. planting area is well-amended and drains are at their fullest, and our minds are thoroughly – no crops succeed in This brochure will go over some basic furthest from winter. guidelines, but the most important is to waterlogged soil. Consider “mulching” around your crops with a cover that remember that should be fun. The average first and last frost dates in With a little bit of planning ahead you can will help absorb the abundant moisture, but Portland are October 15 and April 15. wait until October to it, or else it may have a great winter and be eating Between these dates grow slowly. home-grown veggies all year long! outgrow your crops. Vegetables you grow in this period will need to be established enough to survive the cold Carefully consider where to plant your Keep in mind that each winter is and shorter day length. winter garden based on sun, protection different, so is each winter’s harvest. from wind, and convenient access. You are There are three main ways to extend unlikely to make a long, dark, muddy hike Saving space in your garden when you are your season of harvesting: out to your plants, and your summer planting in spring is one way to ensure space is 1. Plant a second crop of squash, beans, patch may not receive any of the available when it is time to plant your fall and lettuce, etc. in June for a fall harvest. low rays of winter sun. winter crops. Sometimes you can harvest one 2. Plant fall crops so that they ripen by crop and then use that space for something else, Surprisingly, winter veggies can also November 1 to harvest through March. suffer from too little water. Plants need to be but many fall crops will need to be planted 3. Get overwintering varieties in so that well-hydrated before cold weather, since our during the time when your summer garden is in you get a headstart in spring! full abundance. When you start thinking about cold snaps are usually dry. In the event of a your garden as a year-round space it may change forecasted cold front, make sure the ground what you choose to plant and when. For Start planting seeds in July is moist, and water if it is not. example, many gardeners wait and plant their for your fall & winter harvest. broccoli and brussels sprouts in fall rather than spring because the starches turn to sugar after a Often there isn’t space in the garden to plant PROTECTION hard frost so the veggies taste better. your seeds in July. You can either set aside space when first planning the garden and seed Many gardeners enhance their winter Here at Portland Nursery we carry directly, or you can start seeds indoors to be growing capabilities with plant protection. vegetable varieties that we expect to perform planted after summer crops are gone. Starting Cold frames, cloches and frost blankets all well in the Portland area. There are also seeds indoors also makes it easier to keep the provide some protection; catalogues and seed companies that offer a seedbed moist for germination, which can be provide a lot. For best results, plan on using wide selection of other varieties for our difficult outside in July. If you choose not to one of these methods. You may enjoy the climate. direct seed, using starts that you bought or increased growth rates that come with these Our job is to help you be successful, so if grew allows you to transplant outside four to tools, or you may prefer seeing what you have any questions please ask! six weeks later. succeeds without any protection at all.

STORAGE PESTS Fall & Winter Many summer crops can be stored for Happily, cold weather kills most pests. winter consumption, most notably winter Aphids can sometimes be a problem, but squash and potatoes. Root vegetables can be there are many treatment options. Keep in grown in winter or summer, and stored in the Vegetables mind that many summer-time solutions are ground or in another cool location. unavailable in winter. Ladybugs and other beneficial insects are dormant and many MICRO- & MACRO-CLIMATES Getting started growing cool chemicals require a certain air temperature to be effective. The information in this brochure is for the season crops in Portland metropolitan area, at levels below 500

feet. Growing in areas that are above 500 feet or the Portland area CROPS / VARIETIES exposed to cold winds requires additional protection. Even within cities, neighborhoods, Many crops do well in cooler weather, or and yards, subtle climate differences exist based even prefer it. Spinach, lettuce, kale, broccoli, upon how trees and buildings block wind and carrots and garlic are among the most common sun.

vegetables that succeed in Portland-area winters.

Arugula, collards, leeks, mizuna, and radishes are among the less-common vegetables that ADDITIONAL RESOURCES thrive in cooler weather. For estimates of planting times

The crops that do not succeed in winter are on a wide variety of crops the traditional summer garden crops: beans, please see our: corn, cucumbers, eggplant, peppers, squash, and tomatoes. Anyone trying to grow those in cold “Veggie Calendar: Guidelines, Tips, weather would quickly conclude that “winter and Timing for Planting Vegetables.” gardening” is impossible.

Within crops, there are varieties that prefer More excellent resources: heat and those that like it cool. Read seed packets and catalogs, choosing cold-season Maritime Northwest Gardening Guide by varieties. “Fall Blend” mixes are usually a good Seattle Tilth. choice, offering diversity and an extended Four Season Harvest: Organic Vegetables from harvest. Overwintering varieties are crops that your Garden all Year Long by Eliot Coleman you plant in fall and then harvest in early spring. and Barbara Damrosch If the weather stays warm enough before the first frost, often you can harvest a little bit Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest: before the plant goes dormant for the winter. Cool-Season Crops for the Year-Round by Binda Colebrook