Gardening in cold weather
Well, I come from the south and my grandma and great-grand parents always gardened in the winter time. That was the busiest season for them. They ran a farm, so getting up at the crack of dawn to feed the animals and take care of the vegetables and orchards were all they did day in and day out. Tackling the frost and the snow, and the unexpected were always keeping everyone on their toes. That was years ago, and even though times have changed, companies have developed many more options for gardeners to use in order to keep those winter gardens flowing.
Pick your vegetables
There are certain vegetables that can withstand the cold and grow well in winter. You have your root vegetables such as carrots, potatoes, beets, parsnips, radishes, ginger, and garlic. Try to harvest these before the first hard freeze if possible. Then you have the leafy vegetables such as cabbage, collard greens, mustard greens, and spinach. Herbs are also a good choice and can grow throughout the winter.
Choose what vegetable you would like to grow and go from there. Depending on the region you live in, you must keep an eye on the time the killing frost happens in your area. Plant around this time, and do it in enough time so that your plants can mature by the time the bad weather hits. Most local garden centers will have such information that will help assist you in that area.
Keep your garden protected
As I said before you have options today that will help to preserve your garden in the winter, so take advantage of that. You can create grow boxes and mini green houses that will protect your plants from the cold and hard winds. Keep them covered with greenhouse plastic that will block out the UV rays from the sun. This is special plastic that will last several years, so I think it will be a great investment for your garden. Try to add a thermometer under your coverings so that you can keep an eye on the temperature. You don’t want it to get too hot under there. If it is 50 degrees inside open up one end and let some air flow in. If it’s 70 degrees inside, take the plastic off for a while and cover them back up when the temperature falls down again. You also have an option to grow your garden inside your home if you have some special space for that.
There are so many ways to enjoy fresh vegetables in the winter now. Do your research and check out your local garden center for new and innovative ideas. It will be well worth the time, and think of the money you will save by not having to go to the grocery store all the time for fresh vegetables. Do what fits your lifestyle and just have fun producing those delicious fresh vegetables this winter.
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