Posted on 11/30/2012 10:59:19 AM PST by greeneyes
What are you growing in there?
Are you able to do that all winter and have the greens?
Well it hasn’t been confirmed yet but I just wanted to remind you how I sacrificed to help your gardens all these years in case it’s true.
Now I know that 4 inches of rain in the mid west is just a drizzle but 4 inches in 5 days in the NorthWest is a calamity and there is no doubt that the crick will rise...and rise... and rise because of our soil structure. I did wade out and pull the last of the carrots for my chief cook and bottle washer yesterday and she cooked a third of them to go with the baked Poke Spare Ribs last night with some of the tastiest smashed taters I have ever eaten. Life is good... if the crick don’t rise...
lettuce, spinach, carrots, garlic, onions, winter wheat, winter rye, parsley, lavender, rosemary, stevia, tarragon.
Several are ready to harvest, others are sprouted, and others are young and tender.
I planted them at different times in order to have a little something all winter long to harvest-so I actually don’t transplant from the “cold frame”-I grow it till spring, and harvest as ready along the way.
When spring comes, I take off the row cover and keep going. Usually I have lettuce until June before the last bunch is harvested for example. This also allows me to avoid a lot of Spring planting, since it is done in the fall.
I don’t like the weather here until around June anyway, so I stay indoors till then, unless we get an unseasonablly warm day.
LOL. One of our frequent statements: Lord willing and the crick don’t rise.
That sounds awesome. What zone are you in? We’re 5-6 here.
I have a lot better luck with lettuce this way than when I try to plant it in the spring anyway.
This year I have 3’x 28’ under cover, but I didn't get it planted as soon as I would have liked in the fall.
Winter wheat will grow at 35 degrees and above IIRC, and I don't remember for sure on the other stuff. But they make varieties of lettuce than are better for winter weather than others. They sometimes have names like “Arctic” somewhere on the package.
Haven’t tried lovage yet, although I have seeds for it. Borage leaves are hairy enough I was afraid to even try eating them. The flowers are good, not sure if I’d describe them as cucumber-flavored, but they do have a refreshing taste, if you can get to them through the ants. Borage attracts ants in hoards, especially the big black ones that bite.
I only grew borage one summer. I think it’s easier to just grow the cucumbers.
It’s unseasonably warm in southwestern PA this week, 58 to 60 degrees. Dogwood tree is sporting pussy-willow type buds.
It’s unseasonably warm in southwestern PA this week, 58 to 60 degrees. Dogwood tree is sporting pussy-willow type buds.
At one of my favorite times of the year. Sitting here going thru the seeds and putting together the order for next year.
Beginning to realize I have accumulated a number of heirlooms that are no longer in the catalogs, plus the ones that never were that I acquired thru trade. Got lots of seed saving to do this season.
Well, he appears to be looking right at you. Maybe he was having approach/avoidance issues. LOL.
Hah. My heirloom stock seems to keep growing too. And I am trying to grow at least one of each every other year to make sure I keep a viable stash of the ones I like and that do well in our environment.
“Cultivators of the earth are the most valuable citizens...the most vigorous, the most virtuous, and they are tied to their country and wedded to its liberty and interests by the most lasting bonds.” - Thomas Jefferson.
The technique works well for pepper plants. I have a tabasco "tree" that's 5 years old, and about 7ft tall. The young growth that is in contact with the plastic get nipped, but the rest of the plant recovers.
Thanks for the quote.
Really, pepper plants outside in the winter? That’s amazing, I’ll need to try that. What zone are you in?
The ‘weather guy’ has come out with a video .... explains the weather through mid-December (especially for the southeast); however, he makes comments about the rest of the country and you can see the warm/cold areas on the map. It’s a little technical, but he does a great job explaining. If you’re wondering why he seems to be liking cold weather in the southeast, it’s because the area where he lives doesn’t get big snow storms that often & everyone who follows him is looking for snow (he was the only one to accurately predict some big storms a few years ago). Anyway, here’s the video .... if you like ‘weather’, you might enjoy the maps/explanations:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEkONgUdiIk
PS - gorgeous weekend - high 60’s last couple of days, might hit 70 tomorrow .... really nice to be out & about, but kind of weird to be so warm with the house decorated in Christmas lights!
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