Fall/Winter Crops?

[redneckmedic]

Anyone here do 4 season gardening? What does your time line look like for your cold frames and next too seasons? What seeds and planting strategies?

[haldir]

Not really a 4 season guy but we do plant a lot of kale in late summer as it will take a hard freeze. The leeks will still be in the ground until then also. So when the snow flies we can have fresh leek and potato soup and kale soup. Two of my favorites. We keep other lettuce, radishes, greens growing as long as they can handle the cold.
How about yourself, do you actually keep gardening in the winter?

[stilllearning09]

I am not a 4 season gardener either, but we do plant leafy greens, carrots and onions in containers that we bring outside during the winter days for the sun and warmth and roll back into shed/barn in the evening during the night. We use the kids old wagon to roll the stuff back and forth so there is no heavy lifting.
There is a 4-8 week window that is so cold, that plants can't survive in our shed. But, it does provide some fresh veggies for most of the year.

[redneckmedic]

my plan is to have a small green house and some cold frames for this winter, but I have a larger to-do list before I get there.

[45-70]

Here is a good link for planting schedules and varieties it's where I order my garden seeds. The link to the fall schedule is on the lower left side of the page.

heirloomtomatoes.com

[Zoub]

I think the key is cold frames. I have over 40sq' of brand new, heavy plexiglass (free to me) and I am thinking of making cold frames that fit over some existing raised beds I have. The beds are south facing with a fence to the north. Fence gives wind protection and beds are "small space" so to speak.

My thought is to add some water for thermal mass storage. Probably PVC tubes painted black and laid on the ground. Dug half way in?

I am working on the set up right now but no real world experience yet. It will be a huge success or a cluster F*** of giant proportions.

[Pamcake]

Originally Posted by 45-70

Here is a good link for planting schedules and varieties it's where I order my garden seeds. The link to the fall schedule is on the lower left side of the page.

heirloomtomatoes.com

EEK! I'm behind already!
I haven't really done a real fall garden yet, but had hoped to this year!

[haldir]

Originally Posted by Pamcake

EEK! I'm behind already!
I haven't really done a real fall garden yet, but had hoped to this year!

Yeah, it is getting about that time when you have to get some of it put out.

[Dr Falken]

The Survival Podcast a couple days ago had some thought on Fall gardening. I found it inspiring as our Summer gardening fell flat on it's face. I figured, let's reset and give fall/winter a try. I have some old glass windows I figure that I'd either build cold frames or a green house. Our house is bermed and we live on a southern slope, so we get excellent winter sun. That being said, I was looking at planting kale, (which we've done before, but now I know how to prepare it), spinich and brocolli, beats? and I believe that there are other greens we can plant. I hope also to plant garlic and onions. I also thought about trying some containers inside the house.

[haldir]

If you hurry you might get some late beans in. It is always a crap shoot but if the frost holds off they sure are good at the end of the season.