Winter Gardening

[catherine]

So, we're experimenting with overwintering some of our crops--the kale and mizuna, the little chard we have left, collards, arugula..

We installed a hoop house, which I'm delighted with. Our raised beds are only 4 x 8, but it's a great size to get a feel for what can be done and not done in the winter.

My question is.. heating. I'm Zone 6, and it's just starting to dip into the frost temperatures. DH rigged this incandescent 150 watt bulb contraption, which I really don't want to use much--too much light and maybe not enough heat. Not sure.

Do any of you have anything similar--hoop houses, winter greenhouses, cold frames? How do we protect the plants without overkill? I've read about propane and gas heaters which I'm not that interested in. I've also read that you can use the old-fashioned Christmas tree bulbs. We've also read that you can do a double sheet of plastic, and use the space in-between as insulation, using a blower of some kind. Some use hot compost, and some use thermal mass.

Any suggestions?

[herbgeek]

When I've overwintered, I've not used any heat. That meant I would have to wait until mid day to harvest sometimes- because earlier in the day they'd be frozen. I did use a remay/fabric cover on the plants, and they were under heavy plastic (hoops were about 2-2.5 feet high in the middle)- so 2 layers.

Worked great, except the rodents appreciated the rodent hotel that I set up for them ;) which is why I haven't done it since.

[Gregg]

Don't think we're going to get much done except putting a cold frame over our kale patch this year, but big plans for next year when we have the time devoted to the yard and garden instead of the new digs. We always had kale and a few other hardy greens along the south side of the barn for a fall planting when I was a kid. We just made a kind of lean to over it for keeping snow and frost out. That was never heated and it got pretty cold in that country (-30s F several nights in the winter weren't uncommon). We never got a huge harvest, but had some greens all winter. We also had kale in the garden that would get buried in the snow. The snow would insulate it enough that we could just go out and dig it up whenever we wanted.

There is a guy out of Chicago (zone 5-ish) that has a series of vids on YouTube. He goes by "One Yard Revolution". We've been watching them almost every night and getting very inspired. He really does a nice job with unheated hoop houses and cold frames. Here's a link to one of his vids, you can get to all the others from there if you like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scru8xQ-Akk

[catherine]

Worked great, except the rodents appreciated the rodent hotel that I set up for them ;) which is why I haven't done it since.

Thanks for the heads-up! DH mentioned he read that animals may become a problem.

[catherine]

Don't think we're going to get much done except putting a cold frame over our kale patch this year, but big plans for next year when we have the time devoted to the yard and garden instead of the new digs. We always had kale and a few other hardy greens along the south side of the barn for a fall planting when I was a kid. We just made a kind of lean to over it for keeping snow and frost out. That was never heated and it got pretty cold in that country (-30s F several nights in the winter weren't uncommon). We never got a huge harvest, but had some greens all winter. We also had kale in the garden that would get buried in the snow. The snow would insulate it enough that we could just go out and dig it up whenever we wanted.

There is a guy out of Chicago (zone 5-ish) that has a series of vids on YouTube. He goes by "One Yard Revolution". We've been watching them almost every night and getting very inspired. He really does a nice job with unheated hoop houses and cold frames. Here's a link to one of his vids, you can get to all the others from there if you like this one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Scru8xQ-Akk

Thanks, Gregg! I'll definitely check out the videos.

[ToomuchStuff]

What about infra red bulbs?

[Birdie]

I am in zone 9 which does not get as cold as your area. I can grow leafy and root vegetables all winter in the ground without any damage even if it freezes a few times. If you wanted to heat a cold frame you would need to test it before the temperature gets too cold and see how many degrees it raises the temperature.

However, I do use the old fashioned Christmas bulbs with a blanket of floating row cover to protect my citrus in the middle of winter. I use my tomato cages between the plants, drape the lights over the cages and drape the row cover over the xmas lights. I use a timer so the lights are only on at night when the temperature is close to freezing.

If you had vegetables in containers, they could be put in a greenhouse which might need to be heated. I heat mine when the temperature is close to freezing because I over winter some frost sensitive plant in it. Once again I use a timer to heat the greenhouse at night.

I read a book by Eliot Coleman who gardens all year around in Maine. Here is his site, he had lots of ideas about frost protection. http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/
I think the book was the Four season Harvest. You might get some great ideas from his site or books.

[lessisbest]

Don't forget the indoor gardening you can do. We have an AeroGarden (http://www.aerogarden.com/?cid=ppc_m), Windowfarm (http://www.windowfarms.com/), pots of herbs, wheatgrass, sprouts (your little garden in-a-jar) and micro-greens all growing indoors. I've successfully grown a small variety of tomatoes in a hanging pot in a sunny south window, leaf lettuce, and I usually grow the root end of celery successfully indoors. I also re-grow the root end of green onions indoors.

[catherine]

Thanks, Birdie and lessisbest, for the great resources. I am exploring the online resources, and Birdie, I just ordered an Eliot Coleman book.

DH and I are having a "difference of opinion" in use of DH's light contraption. I'm hoping that we can settle it with some wisdom found here!

Actually, lessisbest, that Windowfarm is awesome!

[Gregg]

Birdie's recommendation of Eliot Coleman's book, Four Season Harvest, is spot on. The guy has a whole lot of things figured out and that in a place, Maine, that is colder than what most of us have to deal with.

[Blackdog Lin]

It is wonderful to me, those of you working on winter gardening. You go! It is such a smart thing to do.

But as for me, whew! The garden is done! The cold front arrived, we got the garden all picked and cleaned up ahead of it (had a bit of broccoli and a row of onions) and I'm done till next March? April? And I am so happy not to have to think about any gardening chores till then.

I love the fresh produce but deplore the work involved - which is why I'm so glad for winter! :;

[catherine]

Blackdog, my winter experimental garden is only 4 x 8, and DH is totally into it, so that cuts the work in half. Plus, from what I am learning, there is less watering, less weeding overall, although more monitoring of the climate.

I very serendipitously found an event through Facebook last week and went to it. It was kind of a tour of an organic farm that was started just last year by 6 young people (recent Rutgers grads) who are doing this as a cooperative venture. It was so inspiring!! Everything I want to live in my permaculture/transition/new economy dreams. Of course they were ALL half my age, and could be my kids but DH and I tried to fit in and totally enjoyed the tour.

They are overwintering in a big way--spinach, kale, collards, radishes, turnips (thanks to an $8,000 grant they got for a greenhouse). They sell mixed greens to local restaurants all winter long. They just bought some sheep to add to the pig and the free-range chickens they have. And they're registered as a cooperative. And there is even a guy who lives in his "tiny house" renovated bus out in the back. And they are only 4 miles from my house!!! I'd love to be their token Grandma. They're awesome.

[wren]

I agree with the posters who recommended Eliot Coleman's books. I just finished reading The Winter Harvest Handbook: year-round vegetable production using deep-organic techniques and unheated greenhouses. He does not heat the wintered plants; however, the plants are in coldframes, inside the unheated hoop houses. Cold-tolerant plants survive that way in his Maine location. There is also a chapter on rodent control without chemicals (they can't be completely controlled, but it minimizes the damage).