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Growing Season Extension & Winter Sowing https://afac.org/garden-talk-resources/ Growing Season Extension & Winter Sowing A 2018 Garden Talk Presentation By Catherine Connor & Jasmin DeCourcey Presentation posted at https://afac.org/garden-talk-resources/ 2 Acknowledgment Of Sponsors 2018 Garden Talks happen thanks to the collaboration of: Arlington Friends of Urban Agriculture Arlington Public Library – “Arlington Reads, Arlington Grows” Master Gardeners of Northern Virginia Volunteers “Plot Against Hunger Program” – Arlington Food Assistance Center Virginia Cooperative Extension Service – Arlington/Alexandria Office 3 What we’ll cover Growing Season Season Extension Methods to Extend the Growing Season into Fall & Winter Months Winter Sowing Method to Start Seedlings Outdoors More Resources 4 Growing Season 5 What is “Growing Season”? A “growing season” is the period of the year during which the temperature, sunlight and rainfall are adequate for regular plant growth. Growing seasons are often determined by geographic conditions. The length if growing season is measured in two ways: One enumerates the days of the year when average temperatures & weather conditions are within the thresholds at which crops will germinate & continue to grow. This measure varies with each kind of crop, and may vary by crop variety. The other is stated in terms of frost-free days The average number of days between the last (killing) frost of spring and the first (killing) frost of fall or winter. Different crops & varieties within crops have different winter kill temperatures. Most agriculture requires a frost-free season of at least about 90 days. Increased daylight durations may compensate for shorter frost-free periods. 6 Our Growing Season Length Based on Frost Dates* USDA Plant Hardiness Zones - Average annual extreme minimum temps *different sources offer slightly different dates Zone 7a – Piedmont Area – Lighter Green Average Last Killing Frost: 4/20-30 Average First Killing Frost: 10/19-29 Average # of Frost Free Days: 182 days/26 weeks Zone 7b – Tidewater Area – Darker Green Average Last Killing Frost: 4/10-4/21 Average First Killing Frost: 11/8-11/28 Average # of Frost Free Days: 230 days/33 weeks http://www.plantmaps.com/ Pub 426-331 at https://pubs.ext.vt.edu 7 Annual Vegetable Crops Long Season Crops Early Season Crops Late Season Crops Beans Early Beets Cabbage Bush Beans Early Cabbage Celery Beets Lettuce Sweet Corn Broccoli Onion Sets Chinese Cabbage Cucumbers Peas Carrots Radishes Eggplant Cauliflower Early Spinach Muskmelons Endive Mustard Peppers Kale Turnips Kohlrabi Potatoes Lettuce Pumpkin Radishes Squash Spinach Swiss Chard Turnips Tomatoes Watermelon 8 Our Growing Season Based on What Can Grow When 9 What Do We Mean by Fall Gardening? Planting crops for harvesting before frost Planting crops that can overwinter for spring harvesting Planting cover crops to add nitrogen and minimize weeds in spring 10 Season Extension 11 What is Season Extension? Cold Weather Season Extension and Hot Weather Season Extension Growing earlier crops in spring Extending cool-weather crops into summer* Extending the survival of frost-tender crops beyond the first fall frosts Using both spring and fall for cool weather crops such crops as carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage, kale, spinach Growing cold-hardy winter vegetables Storing and processing crops for use outside their growing season* * Not a direct subject of discussion today 12 Why Extend the Season? We eat year-round! Not just 26-33 weeks out of the year! We favor eating locally grown produce Cool/cold weather gardening offers certain advantages Insects/pest pressures decrease in cold Fewer weeds 13 Cold Hardiness Depends on A Number of Factors Varies by crop and with plant variety, Is affected by wind chill, air drainage & solar exposure Depends on the health of garden soil, including the amount of organic matter in the soil and water drainage Is affected by plant maturity - most overwintering varieties need to be planted and reach a certain maturity point before extreme cold sets in 14 Light Dependency & Day Length Most plants don’t grow when day length is less than 10 hours, even if the temperature is kept within the optimum range. (DC: 11/17/18 – 01/24/19) A “photoperiod” is the duration of light within a 24-hour period. Think: period during which plants can use sunlight for photosynthesis “Day (night) length” influences many activities in plants including growth, seed germination, flowering, fruit development, and the onset of winter dormancy. Some plants are particularly sensitive to the ratio between day and night length. E.g., flowering impact: Long-day plants (day length > 12 hrs) want to flower as we move toward the longest days of the year. Spinach, turnips, onions, lettuce. Short-day plants (< 12 hrs) want to flower earlier in spring or in fall. Sweet potatoes, black-eyed peas. Day-neutral plants disregard the day length and determine their flowering on factors such as temperature or the stage of maturity. Kale, tomatoes, cabbage. https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/2073/2014/04/042712.pdf Day Length and Your Vegetable Garden https://www.timeanddate.com/sun/usa/washington-dc Sunrise, Sunset and Day length in Washington, DC 15 Moisture Needs in Winter Months You need to ensure adequate plant moisture Plants typically need less water in cool temperatures because there is less evapotranspiration But plants in overly dry soil will be less capable of withstanding freezing weather So will plants in soil that is saturated with water 16 Methods to Extend the Season Practices and Structures 17 Seed-starting date for fall crops/harvest: “Short Day Factor” As days grow shorter in the fall Sample Calculation for and light is less intense, Sowing Spinach Seeds consider adding 2 weeks when determining planting dates Days to germination: 7 to 10 + Days to maturity: 35 Short Day Factor (SDF) Formula First frost date + Short Day Factor: 14 = Days to plant before frost 56 to 59 - Days to germinate Given a Nov 1 first frost, the dates for - Days to maturity sowing spinach are about Sept. 2 - 5 - 14 days (SDF) = Date to plant 18 Growing & Transplanting Seedlings as a Season Extension Method In Summer for Fall/Winter Start seedlings in summer by creating (shaded) nurseries* outside. Under-sow and intercrop. Start seedlings indoors. In Winter for Late Winter/Spring Direct seed early with cold protections (may be nursery* setting). Use winter sowing method to grow seedlings outdoors. Grow seedlings indoors. *Nursery: seeds are closer together than appropriate for mature plant with goal to transplant rather than thin 19 Locate to Protect Plants from the Cold Choose growing location based on microclimate & ease of management Take advantage of urban heat island effect Choose site for good air drainage, understand your low-lying areas Location under deciduous trees sunny winter spot Consider prevailing winds Locate where you can readily make adjustments and use 20 Cold Protection Structures Select protection to be deployed to be cost/effort effective and manageable Cold Frames / Hot Beds Row covers (Floating / Low Tunnels) Hoophouses (High Tunnels)* Heated greenhouse* Individual Plant Protections Mulches / Means to warm soil Varied materials to protect crop Remember you need to store this equipment when not in use! * Not the subject of today’s talk 21 Cold Frames Season Extension: Cold frames Miniature greenhouse Can add up to 45 days to growing season. Typically 3’ wide by 6’ long; 18” high in back & 12” high in front. Dimensions are only limited by the size top you put on it. Faces south or west with glass or plastic top at a 30-45° angle to maximize sunlight. Open top on sunny days. 22 23 Using Cold Frames 3 Effective four-season gardening technique Can be adapted to work in an array of climate zones Used primarily to grow salad greens; spinach, chard, mache, claytonia, arugula, and a variety of lettuces Can also be used to grow other vegetables such as scallions, radishes, carrots, and leeks. Creates an isolated warm, humid, controlled environment for plants to grow in during the harsher times of the year. A translucent top is angled towards the south in order to capture as much solar radiation as possible throughout the day. An effective cold frame is planted in the ground, in order to insulate the ground in which the plants grow. 24 Various Types of Cold Frames One of the great things about cold frames is the simplicity of their concept; they can be built from a wide array of materials. Effective cold frames range anywhere from a hole in the ground covered with plastic, to a buried wooden structure made from re-used materials, to an insulated raised bed using recycled materials. No matter what you use to construct your cold frame, there are a few essential aspects that make growing in your cold frame happen. 25 How the Cold Frame Works The cold frame lessens climatic stress in a number of ways: Temperature: A single layer of glass creates a microclimate in which the nighttime temperature inside the frame can be as much as 20° warmer than the temperature outside, although the average difference is 7° to 10°F The daytime temperature inside the frame, even on a cloudy, early spring day, will be 10° to 15°F warmer than outdoors. On a sunny spring day, the temperature can rise high enough to cook the soil and the plants if you don’t vent off the extra heat. Solar Angle: Slanted diagonally from the back to the front helps water to run off and placed facing south, increases the sunlight reaching the inside. That’s why solar panels are placed at an angle between 30 and 45 degrees 26 How the Cold Frame Works Both daytime and nighttime temperature differences depend on the time of year, the angle and intensity of the sun, the rate of outdoor temperature change, and the initial temperature in the frame.
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