You can grow your own food. We can help.

Winter Garden Sans Greenhouse

Dec 27, 2010

We have some very low tech winter gardening going in a couple of our beds. I'm pretty thrilled and totally hooked. I can't figure out how to copy my blog post, but this link should get you there http://homegrownutah.blogspot.com/2010/12/holiday-garden.html

I feel like we're way beyond season extension here and getting a slow start at a year round harvest.

-Johanna

ABOUT THE AUTHOR, johannagreen

I am a back yard gardener. Our small plot produces food for our family of 3, plus friends. I'm interested in sharing what I've learned so far in 5 years of gardening and learning what...

Comments

Joel LeGrand

Mon, 12/27/2010 - 15:01

can we hear more about the hoop houses & how you heat them? photos of them.

johannagreen

Mon, 12/27/2010 - 20:02

Joel, The heat is all passive. The low tunnel is set up with a good layer of rough compost at the end of the season. I think this works to protect the roots and maybe gives off a little heat as it breaks down. The tunnel cover is wire fencing with row cover attached by clothespins (left of frame) The Hoop is set up over a 4 x 6 foot raised bed. The hoops are PVC slipped over rebar at the ground. Again, the cover is row cover. I have covered the seeds just planted in about 1/2 inch of straw This week we will have overnight lows around 12 F but we'll have some snow also and the snow ends up acting as an insulator and wind break. I'm experimenting with figuring out what exactly can be grown here in our microclimate without any heat input. I think the real challenge will be late winter when we get a lot of cold with wind. I'll see how it goes. -Johanna

Joel LeGrand

Mon, 12/27/2010 - 20:09

I hadc cauliflower & broccoli, the caulifower was soft ball size when we got a 17 degrees F low they are gone now. the cabbage & collards will make it, I think. But a hoop house & maybe a 40 watt bulb would have helped a lot.