Winter Garden

I know it’s hot and this is the last thing you really want to think about; but now is the time to consider your winter garden. Many people are what I call summer gardeners, and that is a lot of fun, and great exercise. If you play your cards right, gardening can save you a lot of money while improving your health! Talk about a win-win situation! The fact remains, when the heat is on, few of us think about starting seeds.

Now is a great time to start carrots, cabbage, broccoli, lettuce and potatoes for overwintering. I also like to start Walla Walla onions and garlic at this point in the season. If you have never had fresh, home grown garlic you are in for a treat. It is up there with home grown tomatoes and corn for taste improvement over the store-bought veggies.

It is important to keep the winter garden seeds moist while germinating, which can be a little tricky when it is hot. I bought a new timer from Bi-mart that has a 6-hour setting. I am trying to see if it will keep my seeds moist. I try to automate as much as I can. You will want to get most vegetables planted in the early this month, depending on the maturity dates of the varieties you select. Varieties that have around a 60-day expected maturity so be sure to check the expiration date. I like to try to plant spinach and lettuces every two weeks almost year-round.

Things need more space in the winter garden because of the lower light levels. I kept a grow light going one winter to raise strawberries, herbs, tomatoes and cucumbers year round; it was great fun! With the increase in food costs, and improvements in grow light efficiency, it may now be cost effective to grow food in the garage over winter. I always miss fresh herbs the most during the winter. I tried to grow them in a south window but by December they were not looking very happy. We only get about 2 solar hours per day in Oregon in the winter, so unfortunately, photovoltaic systems make little sense here.

There is still time to grow some quick maturing bush beans in your summer garden; spinach, green onions, and lettuces. You can extend your harvest quite a while without spending money for a light and paying for the extra electricity with a 10′ section of PVC stuck in the ground on both sides and covered with cheap plastic. You can find all the supplies at Bi-Mart. This structure will allow plants to survive a few frosts. If you place gallon jugs filled with water inside they help keep temperatures warmer inside to last even longer.

I have tried to keep tomatoes producing all winter without a light every way I could dream up, and have never been successful. I have kept tomato plants and pepper plants alive over the winter and was able to plant them out in the spring so they started producing right away. That system worked well. If anyone has been able to keep a tomato plant actually producing over the winter without lights, please email me your secret and I will pass it on next month.

For winter gardening, remember to plant quick-maturing varieties and give them extra room for access to available light. The real secret for winter gardening is just to do it! Once you try it you will be hooked! Fresh carrots pulled right from your own garden in December taste sweeter than anything you can buy at the grocery store. Enjoy the satisfaction of increasing your self-sufficiency, and the pride of a job well done.