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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission
Some Winter Garden pics. (It was 17 degrees Fahrenheit last night.)

Yes I know....brussel sprouts and cabbage and turnips are barely worth it monetarily, but its good to practice for some time when you might really do need to do something like this.

Started last week by watering growing plant beds well, also watering with Fish emulsion and kelp fertilizer, putting down straw. After watering I also sprinkled some Dr Garden (?) organic fertilizer around the plants because plants need more nitrogen to continue growing in winter. (Will water that in at a later time.) I put down some pipe heating cables around them, covered them in the protected low tunnels. I put a second layer cover over the low tunnel, either a cheap waterproof 4 x 10 white plastic drop cloth or a tarp. ( I need to remove the light blocking tarps every morning to allow sunlight to get to the plants.) (YES!..TACKY... looks like a homeless encampment! Winter bivouac or camping is a muddy messy thing.)

pictures taken after the tarps were removed to allow sunlight during the day. (42F expected this after noon.)

I do not expect much growth in these conditions. I am hoping that the temperatures get back into the 30s at night and 40s during the day so that they get enough sunlight to grow. One of the biggest problems with winter gardening is water, plants dry out and die. Once I get to some warmer temperatures I will drag out and reconnect a hose, pull off the low tunnels and do some heavy watering. If I can get 3 weeks of normal late fall temperatures in the next month the head and Chinese cabbage should be big enough to pick (Although still small.) Note that I also have leeks that are growing that are unprotected except for some straw mulch. Some of them are ready to dig up. (Giant Mussleburg and Blu d Solaise)

I was going to get a tray to put under Herb pots that I brought inside for the winter. I found a clear plastic storage box at Walmart for $9 that works just as well. (Thai basil, rosemary, thyme)

55 posted on 11/13/2022 9:47:51 AM PST by Pete from Shawnee Mission (Zone 6B KS/MO Border KC area)
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To: Pete from Shawnee Mission

Way to keep the season going, Dude!

Even though I’ve been covering them at night, my three outside pots (too heavy to move; poor planning on my part) I think by today the lettuces and spinach will be toast, so I’m going to harvest what I can this afternoon if they thaw out! We had frozen spinach in our wraps at lunch - it worked, LOL!

In the greenhouse, under cover, lettuces and arugula are holding their own.

It’s hard to let things go, but with these sub-freezing temps since Thursday (when it was 70!!) there’s not much more I can do but eat up what we can and start hibernating, ourselves. :)


56 posted on 11/13/2022 11:07:00 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have, 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set. )
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