Continued…now we can talk about the hardy plants that can survive the winter with little or no help.
Most you need to consider planting by using plants that you have started in pots. This gives them a little bit of a head start and allows them to harden off before it gets cold and surprises them. Almost all of them need to be planted in August, but again you need to pay close attention to the weather and the long-range forecasts.
This fall is already forecasted to be cooler than normal so watch closely. Beets you plant by seeds and harvest in 65 days. Broccoli by plants and harvest in 75 days. Brussels Sprouts by plants and harvest in 100 days. Cabbage and Chinese Cabbage by plants and harvest in 80 days. Carrots by seeds and harvest in 80 days. You need to pay special attention to the kind of carrot that you plant. Some take 4-6 months to mature. Read the directions. They will winter over extremely well and make for good picking in early spring. Collards by seed or plant and harvest in 80 days. Garlic by bulbs or cloves and harvest in early June. Irish Potato by seed potatoes and harvest in 100 days. Kale by plants and harvest in 60 days. Leaf Lettuce by seed or plants and harvest in 70 days. Leeks by seed or plants and harvest late spring. Onions by seed, sets or plants and harvest late spring. Parsnip by seed or plants and harvest in 120 days.
The remaining plants use seeds. Green Peas harvest in 90 days, Radish harvest in 30 days, Rutabaga harvest in 90 days, Spinach harvest in 60 days, Swiss Chard and Turnips harvest in 60 days. These plants are hardy and can withstand winter cold, but only to a point.
When the temperature gets to 28 degrees or lower there is the potential for all plants to be damaged if not provided a little protection. Protection by the use of hoop rows is probably always the best but if the winter is warm you need to see how warm it gets under that plastic sheeting because it could get too warm for your plants. Don’t be surprised by the temperatures under that plastic. Snow is a good insulator and will keep your plants warm and remember that it normally won’t snow unless it is around 32 degrees or warmer.
Sometimes ice will protect your plants but be prepared to provide a little extra protection. When it is going to have a light freeze or frost and no precipitation is forecast you can do something as simple as putting a fan out by the garden and turning it on to keep the air moving. The next morning your plants will be soaking wet but there will be no frost or freeze damage and you can tell where the fan did not move the air around.
So that is it for the continued segments and there will be new stuff next week.
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