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livingontheland - Re: [Livingontheland] off season eating? was Whole Foods

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Subject: Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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  • From: "TradingPostPaul" <tradingpost@riseup.net>
  • To: mtncats@myway.com, livingontheland@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: Re: [Livingontheland] off season eating? was Whole Foods
  • Date: Sat, 31 Mar 2007 07:15:24 -0700


Tom, we can amaze ourselves when we have to. Following Coleman can be
tricky but it's worth it. Maybe 99% of gardeners just give up at season's
end and let Jack Frost have his way with it?

With all the trouble of feeding the soil, making productive beds, it's a
shame not to double or triple crop and get the most out of it.

paul tradingpost@lobo.net

*********** REPLY SEPARATOR ***********

On 3/31/2007 at 7:32 AM mtncats wrote:

>Harvey convinced me to give winter growing a try. All I did was cut off
>the tomatoes and remove the cages. What all was growing underneath,
>variety of greens, was left. I added height to the bed sides with 2x4s
>and flopped some lites salvaged from fogged sliding doors on top.
>
>These panels are everywhere, generally free for the hauling. Almost all
>tempered, so they're stronger than standard window glass. I added a 2x4
>down the middle of the bed so the span would only be 30", knowing I could
>get a foot of snow on top and there was no slope.
>
>Nights got down to 9ยบ, nothing froze (I threw a tarp over the whole
thing
>that night). Next winter I'm following Coleman's advice, with everything.
> It was wonderful, picking fresh all winter (when it wasn't too icy to get
>to the beds). Did have a problem with voles moving in, toasty dirt and a
>salad outside their front door. We still ate well.
>
>Better next year.
>Tom (in central Virginia)
>
>
> --- On Fri 03/30, TradingPostPaul < tradingpost@riseup.net > wrote:
>There's a question I've been waiting for someone to bring up. Well, we
>won't have homegrown strawberries and bananas in January for sure. Here,
>our farmers markets are pushing it to open May thru Sept. I'd think you'd
>be able to grow some things ten months in central TX.
>
>However, there are root crops that can be left in the ground in winter
till
>needed (carrots? beets? turnips?), and leafy greens that can survive all
>but the coldest months or longer with some protection. Swiss chard for
one,
>held on till November. And of course root cellar or cool room storage for
>certain vegetables and fruits. Some things get better in storage or at
>least after some frost. We've kept winter squash inside all winter before.
>We still have some sugar loaf delicata (very tasty) given to us in
>September, but they have to get eaten soon so we can start the seeds in
our
>(undersized) seedling greenhouse.
>
>What else? Jump in here, anyone!
>
>Rats. It's snowing now.
>
>paul tradingpost@lobo.net
>
>
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