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Home , Winter garden

Your Winter The Second Act Mike Kluk, Nevada County Master

For many of us, when the curtain protection. A well-hydrated candidates. Instead of winter cover of frost falls on our summer will handle the cold better than or straw on all of your beds, , we put away our one that is drought stressed. So, some will be growing salad and a tools and wait for spring to begin be prepared to water if there is an vegetable side dish. If you live in again. But it is possible to have a extended dry spell in the winter. snow country, you will probably second act with a whole new cast Choosing beds that are protected need to use a season-extender of characters. Growing a winter from the prevailing winter wind will structure. You will also need to clear garden is a great way to continue also help. the snow away to allow enough to enjoy fresh, healthy vegetables I have managed to have a light to reach the . The throughout the year. With a bit of respectable winter garden for exception would be root crops such planning and a few winter-specific several years. Our nighttime as beets and carrots. If you plant a approaches, you can successfully temperatures on clear nights sufficient number in the spring, you grow vegetables that are as varied are generally in the low 20s can enjoy them all winter. Unless and tasty as anything summer has with excursions into the teens your soil freezes, mature beets and to offer. a few times during the winter carrots will do just fine under the The guru of winter vegetable being predictable. The lowest snow waiting to be pulled up for , Eliot Coleman, is a temperature I have recorded at dinner. But the spring planted market gardener on the coast our place was 10F, and our winter will not be as sweet as those you of Maine. If he can grow winter garden pulled through in decent plant in the late summer or early fall vegetables profitably there, it shape. after the frost hits them. should be easy here in the foothills One of the big challenges to The following chart includes of Nevada County. growing a winter garden is figuring hardy vegetables you may want to In many respects, your winter out where to put it. Many of your consider growing and the number garden will take less work than winter vegetables will need to be of days to plant prior to your the summer version. You will not planted in July, August or early first frost date. It is by no means need to water as often. Weed September—when your summer a complete list. This information and bug problems are fewer. The crops are still producing well. You came from Eliot Coleman’s book key is getting started early and can never have too many garden Four Season Harvest with some planting cold-tolerant varieties. beds, and this is a good argument modifications based on my Mature plants can withstand cold for establishing more. You’ll find experience. Of course the best temperatures better than younger that the rotation is actually fairly planting date depends on whether plants. Most of the plants you will simple if you plan ahead. You may the cold settles hard in the fall at grow in winter such as lettuces, have a summer cover crop such your garden site or if you tend to leeks, onions, mache and kale, as buckwheat on some beds, just have a period of warmer weather can survive temperatures into the waiting for your winter vegetable after the first frost. teens or even single digits once starts. Beds that had peas in the Sequential planting through the established, especially if given some winter and spring are also likely period will extend your harvest

Nevada County Master (530) 273-0919 http://ncmg.ucanr.org 255 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley CA

UCCE Nevada County Master Gardeners although that is not a big issue Vegetable Varieties for the Winter Garden for a winter garden because the Direct seed Days before first frost plants mature slowly. If you use the covers discussed in the next Beets 30-60 article, you can plant in the shorter Carrots 45-60 time frame. If you don’t, you should start your plants near the earlier Cilantro 20-60 date. In any case, mustard, in all of Claytonia (Miner’s Lettuce) 15-45 its manifestations—from broccoli Lettuce (leafy cut and come again 15-70 to tatsoi—is likely to be the star of varieties seem most successful) your winter garden. Mache (Corn Salad) 15-45 Site selection to take advantage of the warmest microclimates in your Peas 45-90 garden important. For example, Scallions 15-90 areas near a south-facing fence or wall will benefit from reflected Spinach 0-30 heat and light during the day. Swiss chard 30-60 Concentrating your winter garden in areas that are protected from Turnips 45-60 cold, drying winds will also go far Seed Transplant Starts to increase your plants’ chances of (Plant out approx. 30 days after seeding) surviving the winter. Broccoli 75-105 Cabbage 60-90 Cauliflower 75-105 Kale (Red Russian) 45-105 Leeks 90-120 Mustard Greens, Boc Choy, Pak Choy, Mizuna, Tatsoi 15-75 Parsley 45-90

References: The Winter Harvest Handbook and Four-Season Harvest, Eliot Coleman Gardening When It Counts—Growing Food in Hard Times, Steve Solomon Winter Gardening in the Maritime Northwest: Cool-Season Crops for the Year-Round Gardener, Binda Colebrook How to Grow Winter Vegetables, Charles Dowding Solar Gardening—Growing Vegetables Year Round the American Intensive Way, Leandre Poisson/Gretchen Vogel Poisson The Art of Season Extending, University of California Cooperative Extension Season Extenders Maybe You Can Fool Mother Nature Mike Kluk, Nevada County Master Gardener

heat stored in the soil during the day, not letting it escape to the atmosphere as fast as it otherwise would.

Hot caps Over 350 years ago, gardeners discovered that they could protect heat-loving summer varieties from late frosts by covering each individual plant with a small oiled paper tent A —the biggest, most expensive type of season extender or a large “jar” made of glass, often called a cloche or bell The phrase “season extender” cover, cold frames, high tunnels, jar. Gardeners still use these refers to a wide range of generally and shade cloth. although they are most often low-tech items and approaches This article will give you an made of thin plastic supported that can keep your warm-season introduction to the most by a wire hoop or homemade plants warm when it’s cold common season extenders and out of a plastic milk jug with the outside and your cool-season hopefully inspire you to give bottom cut off. Unfortunately, crops cool when the mercury is them a try. these individual coverings must rising. be removed on warm sunny days Fall and spring to avoid overheating the plants Season extenders will not fool season extenders and, because of the small size, Mother Nature enough to let you The early spring is a time of can have only a limited affect on grow tomatoes in the winter or changeable, fickle weather in the nighttime temperatures. most lettuces in the height of foothills. Season extenders make summer. But season extenders it possible to start warm-season Floating row cover can help you get a jump start crops at times that would not Another spring option is row on your summer garden, keep otherwise be optimum. Home cover, generally spun polyester, your cool-weather crops going gardeners are most familiar which is laid directly on the plants longer into the summer, extend with the season extenders and held down on the edges your summer vegetables deeper used in spring. All of them work with soil or rocks. Floating row into fall and grow cold-tolerant on the principle of creating a cover serves the same function of vegetables through winter. microclimate by holding in the increasing daytime temperatures Some common season extenders heat of the sun and humidity and humidity when necessary are cloches or hot caps, low during cold days and protecting and holding some of the day’s tunnels with coverings of the plants from damaging winds. heat in at night for at least a while. polyethylene plastic or row At night, they hold in some of the It has the added benefit that it

Nevada County Master Gardeners (530) 273-0919 http://ncmg.ucanr.org 255 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley CA

UCCE Nevada County Master Gardeners breathes” so that it is unlikely to options are beyond the scope of enough to allow you to reach overheat on sunny, warm spring this article. all of the plants from the open days. The material used in this way side. An alternative is to use 4’ x is a thin version of row cover. The 8’ polycarbonate panels that are various covering options will be simply laid on the frame. They discussed separately below. will span a typical garden bed, Hot caps and floating row cover can be held down with boards or work in the relatively warm days bricks and simply slid off when and nights of late spring. Floating you want access. Cold frames have row cover is a practical way to the disadvantage of being fairly Low tunnel protect your mature summer expensive to buy and somewhat complicated to build and may vegetables from the first cool Cold frames and low tunnels nights of fall, extending your not be practical to cover multiple The next step up in effectiveness, beds. harvest of cucumbers, squash beyond floating row cover, is a and tomatoes. However, these cold frame or, its more modern Low tunnels are easy to construct, season extenders provide little cousin, the low tunnel. Traditional and covering several beds is quite protection from frost or freezing cold frames are constructed feasible. They are simply a series temperatures. Floating row cover of wood with a hinged glass of hoops, stuck in the soil or fixed will freeze to the plants it is laying covering. They are generally to a raised bed, that form a tunnel on during an icy night, providing oriented with the long side down the length of the bed. no real protection. running east/west. The south Putting a hoop every three or four edge is typically lower than the feet is generally adequate. The Late fall and winter hoops can be constructed from season extenders north to allow better access to the low winter sun. Cold frames any material that can be bent into In general, the more area you a hoop shape. Some nurseries sell can enclose in a structure, the can be purchased at many garden supply stores. They can also be heavy-gauge wire in sections that more efficiently it will maintain is designed to be bent into hoops. an environment of somewhat built by anyone with even modest building skills. You can even However constructing hoops from higher temperatures and humidity rebar or ½” PVC or thin-wall metal that will help your plants make it construct the sides of a “frame” out of straw bales. Fill the center part- conduit can result in a stronger through tough weather. Larger structure. To protect against wind and more substantial structures way with soil and cover it with a clear panel and you damage, it is useful to tie or will provide more protection than screw a section of pipe hot caps and floating row cover. have a serviceable cold frame. to the top of the They will hold heat longer, shelter hoops, running from stronger winds and protect If you hinge one side the length from the effects of direct frost. of the cover, the cold of the bed. They will allow you to grow cold frame must be narrow If you get weather plants and vegetables substantial such as kale and lettuce through snow, it the winter in the foothills without may also be an external heat source except necessary the sun. But they will not maintain to cut short an environment that will support sections of board or warm-weather plants such as pipe that can be set vertically to tomatoes or squash far into the support the hoops. Once your cold days of late fall without a hoop structure is in place, a cover heater or fairly elaborate system More low tunnels is then laid over it. The cover of heat storage. Both of those should be large enough to cover Greenhouses can also be custom thick. It will resist deterioration by both ends and sides to the ground designed and built out of new UV light and should last five years with some extra. Cover and or used materials. Greenhouses or longer if you protect it from the securing options will be discussed are typically more complicated sun when not in use during the below. to construct than hoop houses summer. You can also get plastic but can be a more permanent that has an additive to increase its High tunnels or hoop houses structure. ability to reflect heat. Polyethylene A high tunnel or hoop house is is tough and will work fairly well a bigger and more substantial A very serviceable greenhouse can be made from a metal in snow country if you are able to version of a low tunnel. It can span clear it after each snow fall. the width and length of several carport structure, often available garden beds or more. Given its used, that is then covered with The big disadvantage of the rigid greater size, the construction polyethylene plastic. People who cold frame covers or polyethylene needs to be more careful and live in snow country may want to is that they do not vent to keep beefier. A common choice for use polycarbonate or fiberglass heat from building up during hoop material is 1¼” PVC pipe. But panels for the roofing. Plants in sunny days, possibly cooking the principal is the same: using a winter greenhouse should be your vegetables prematurely. For the inherent strength in a series planted in the ground where tunnels, you will need to be able of arches to support a cover that they will be much warmer than to roll up at least one side to vent will maintain a relatively warm if planted in pots on benches. the structure on any sunny day and protected environment for For added protection, you can warmer than about 45F. There are your plants. The end walls of the add low tunnels over the plants automatic openers available for “tunnel” are typically constructed within the greenhouse. You can cold frames. Although that adds of 2 x 4s. A door for access and also put barrels of water in the expense, it makes them practical windows for venting are added. In greenhouse as an added reservoir heavy snow areas, these structures of daytime heat that will moderate can be strengthened with a 2 x 4 temperatures at night. placed vertically supporting each Coverings hoop. Hoop houses sometimes Your choice of covering material even have a double wall of plastic will be dictated by a number of sheeting with air blown between factors; cost and practicality being them for insulation but such an chief among them. Low tunnel with row cover elaborate system is not necessary in our climate to provide adequate Glass or polycarbonate. If you for people not able to open and protection for cold-hardy plants live in an area that gets heavy close them during the day. such as broccoli or Swiss chard. It snow, your best choice is glass Row cover and Dio-Betalon. The is helpful to not attach the cover or polycarbonate panels. Glass need to vent a tunnel is solved permanently to the lower 3–4 feet can be expensive, although used by using row cover or a product of one side so that it can be rolled windows are generally cheap or made from polyvinyl alcohol up on a hot day. free. Polycarbonate panels are also marketed as Dio-Betalon (formerly pricey but will last many years, Tuffbell.) Both are porous enough Greenhouses and as stated above, can cover an to allow built-up heat to escape. You can buy prefabricated almost 4’ x 8’ bed. Even though porous, on a freezing greenhouses at most garden Polyethylene plastic. Polyethylene night, frost will form on the supply stores. In addition, is the traditional cover for low surface, closing off the holes and automatic window openers, tunnels and hoop houses. If you creating a snug environment for fans and other accessories make use this, purchase greenhouse your vegetables. greenhouses very adaptable to plastic (not regular “construction” various climates and seasons. Row cover comes in multiple plastic) that is at least 6 millimeters thicknesses. The version that blocks out 30% of the light Whatever structure and cover not unraveling when cut. Thus you seems to be a good compromise combination you choose, the can buy it in bulk and simply cut between protection and light added protection will allow you off a piece the size and shape you availability in the winter. It lets in to grow cold-tolerant vegetables want. enough light for hardy plants to through the winter in western If you have constructed low do fine during our winters that Nevada County. A hot soup rich tunnels, you can use the same generally feature quite a lot of sun with vegetables and a salad, all structure to support the shade yet it offers meaningful protection. from your back yard, can brighten cloth. The same clips will hold If you anticipate a particularly the coldest winter day. it on. Shade cloth in itself will cold night, you can throw on an generally extend the season additional layer. One disadvantage Summer season extenders of your favorite cool season of row cover is that because it is As the weather warms into vegetables into summer. opaque, it is easy to “forget” to summer, you may want to attend to your vegetables—out of extend the season for your cool- If you add a water system that sight out of mind. season vegetables. In that case, mists from above, you will get an protecting plants from the harsh added measure of protection. If, in Dio-Betalon is clear. It lets in direct rays of the sun is the key. addition, you grow heat tolerant more light than row cover and This can be done with some varieties of kale, lettuce and other the plants within are visible. The success by planting in an area that cool-season crops, you will be a primary disadvantage of Dio- will get afternoon shade. But that long way down the road to having Betalon is cost. A piece large will probably not be enough in fresh salads and greens in the enough to cover two 4’ x 8’ beds itself to protect your crop of kale, summer. costs about $100 locally. rapini or lettuce as summer ramps Other plants can benefit from If you use one of the flexible up. shade as well. Raspberries and covering materials such as Shade cloth is the most practical some blackberries suffer from polyethylene or row cover, you tool to use to bring summer our hot summer days but will do will need to secure it to the hoop relief to your cool-weather crops. better if grown under shade cloth. structure. This can be done by Shade cloth comes in a variety Mint is always a candidate for a leaving enough trailing on the of “weights” that will block out little shade. Even basil, the queen ground to hold down with rocks more or less sun, but also light. If of high summer herbs, will have or shovelfuls of soil. shade is too heavy, it will stunt or bigger leaves and more tender A much more convenient means kill even the toughest of winter stems if grown under shade cloth. of connecting the cover to the vegetables. A cloth that blocks out If you combine the summer and hoops are plastic clips specially 50% of the light seems to strike winter season extenders discussed made for this purpose (available about the right balance in our in this article, your vegetable from garden supply stores) or environment. garden will be more varied and large binder clips (available from Shade cloth is either woven or more productive through the stationary stores.) In any case, be knitted. The woven must be year. Your own home-grown sure that the ends and sides are hemmed to prevent it from vegetables are, after all, the securely sealed to prevent cold air unraveling. The knitted is generally freshest and most local you will from blowing in. cheaper and has the advantage of ever eat. Sources California Master Gardener Handbook, Univ. of Calif. and Natural Resources, pub. #3382, pp 343-343 Season Extenders, http://urbanext.illinois.edu/hortihints/0402c.html Low Tunnels, http://extension.psu.edu/plants/plasticulture/technologies/low-tunnels How to Make a Low Tunnel in Pictures, http://sites.duke.edu/farm/2012/11/10/how-to-make-a-low-tunnel-in-pictures/ Season Extenders, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Environmental , pub. # 426-381 Nevada County Master Gardeners (530) 273-0919 http://ncmg.ucanr.org 255 S. Auburn St., Grass Valley CA

UCCE Nevada County Master Gardeners