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| Growing in the snow http://cookaholics.org/viewtopic.php?f=35&t=1192 |
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| Author: | pepperhead212 [ Sun Feb 20, 2011 10:38 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Growing in the snow |
All that snow talk got me thinking about all the snow we have had this year, and something I did to spite the weather. I grew Asian greens under cover all winter, including some very cold spells (I know...not to Amy and those in the mountains!). Every time one of those extended low temp. forecasts came, I uncovered it completely (normally, I just reached under and cut what I needed), and harvested what I could, leaving a few untouched, to see how they would survive. The only time I had any that died off was after the 1-21 harvest, when we had a 4º low, and 12º high, and it stayed in the teens for several days, before a 12" snow added some insulation! That didn't melt until just before my latest uncover, on 2-17. Here is a slideshow of all those greens, showing how they just kept growing all winter! The kohlrabi didn't grow much, but didn't seem to be phased my the cold, either. The mizuna, komatsuna, and tatsoi were the ones that fared the best, and kept growing back, after cutting. Dave |
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| Author: | saute [ Sun Feb 20, 2011 11:16 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Growing in the snow |
Dave!! It's almost garden time in Texas! |
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| Author: | pepperhead212 [ Mon Feb 21, 2011 8:31 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Growing in the snow |
saute wrote: Dave!! It's almost garden time in Texas! It's always garden time here! Even before this started, I always had garlic growing in the winter. And you're right...it's almost time to plant huge numbers of seeds indoors, and to plant the spring greens. Dave |
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| Author: | Amy [ Wed Feb 23, 2011 3:45 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Growing in the snow |
Dave, Just viewed your slide show...amazing! I'm determined to build a raised bed this year (the only way I can grow anything given our soil). I want to get my seeds going next month. What do you think would work well in my high alpine environment? Amy |
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| Author: | marygott [ Wed Feb 23, 2011 5:29 am ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Growing in the snow |
Beautiful harvest Dave. I read/heard about something called "ice spinach" which is spinach grown in very cold winter allowed to freeze multiple times giving a very sweet result. Kind of like ice wine, I guess. Amy, my mom did a new kind of gardening last year that worked very well for her PA rocky mountain soil. It is called lasagna gardening. No digging and very few weeds. http://organicgardening.about.com/od/startinganorganicgarden/a/lasagnagarden.htm I think it would be great for you. Mary |
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| Author: | pepperhead212 [ Wed Feb 23, 2011 10:59 pm ] |
| Post subject: | Re: Growing in the snow |
Mary, If I remember correctly Ice Spinach is a trademark item of an organic farming company, that sells the spinach mainly to restaurants, resulting in many menu items with the name. It is not a particular variety. And spinach, while cold resistant, is not resistant down to low 20's or teens, like many of those brassicas. They probably grow them under much larger covers, and have heaters, just in case, though I am just guessing! Amy, I am not really sure of what you could grow up there; your growing season is much shorter, which is something you'll have to consider when finding varieties, and you'll have to start them indoors much earlier, in larger pots, to make up for this. Any kind of veggies in particular you are thinking of? Some of those greens would probably grow the entire summer in your area! Dave P.S. We just got another 6" of snow Monday night. |
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