Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

homestead - Re: [Homestead] Kale

homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: Homestead mailing list

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Clansgian AT wmconnect.com
  • To: homestead AT lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Homestead] Kale
  • Date: Thu, 4 Jan 2007 21:32:35 EST



> Have you read Four-Season Harvest, by Eliot Coleman?

Yes, it's one of the books I broke down and bought. Although some of
Coleman's other writings irritate me, I gave the book a shot. It's one
weakness, or
omission, is that although treating ways to extend the harvest into winter
and
get an early start on spring, it doesn't even address hot frames at all. I
know Coleman is describing *his* system and he doesn't use them, but is still
seems like a gross omission on the subject matter.

Like any other gardening book one reads though Compost 101, and kale is
related to cabbage, and you can grow things on trellises.

But it seems there are no rotten oysters that don't contain some pearls. The
most significant bit in the book is summarized in the title. It's "Four
Seasons HARVEST". Not Four Seasons Growing. Here very far south of
Coleman's
Maine, growth days are rare in what he calles the Persephone months (not so
much
now as when the book was published, it's warmer now). New vegetative growth
during these months is a treat but by no means may be relied upon. Deep
winter
gardens are a matter of holding what has already grown.

Although he rightly points out that green houses are more for the gardener
than the plants, he also correctly points out that a cold frame IN a green
house
augments the heating effect and can be put to good use if such exists.

All in all it's a worthwhile book. It changed the way I did some things and
for an aspiring old codger becoming more and more set in his ways, that's
something.




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page