an introspective series of articles about raised gardening
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How to Grow a Winter Garden
It's Easier than you Think
The joys of vegetable gardening aren't confined to just the summer time.
I have discovered that growing vegetables in the fall and winter can be
just as rewarding, with the added benefit of no insect problems. I thought
it curious that the garden centers were selling cabbage, collards, broccoli
and cauliflower seedlings in late September. Could it be that these
varieties could grow during the winter? I decided to find out.
I had grown a very successful summer vegetable garden beginning this
past March in what is termed as a "raised garden bed." These raised
garden beds are so named because the garden is actually constructed
above ground using a wooden frame to contain the soil. I used several
decking planks that I bought at a lumber supply store to form a rectangle
approximately eight feet long and four feet wide. Since the lumber was
only six inches wide, two frames were built so that one could be placed on
top of the other to give it a height of about one foot. A quick trip
to the hardware store provided me with the metal angles I needed to
secure the corners of the boards and wooden dowels used to attach the
top frame to the bottom one. Special decking screws were used in the
assembly because they are treated to resist rust.
Rather than using local soil that tends to be hard packed clay and difficult
to cultivate, the garden bed was filled with a mixture of humus, top soil
and compost bought in 40 pound bags at a local garden center. Since I
wanted the garden to be organic, fertilizer used on golf courses made of
granulated turkey litter was added to the soil. This 50 pound bag was
enough to last for two seasons.
When September rolled around, the exhausted plants from the summer
garden were pulled up, fertilizer was added to the soil and the surface
was smoothly raked out. The four vegetable varieties chosen for the
winter garden were planted as one row each of cabbage, collards,
broccoli and cauliflower. For good measure, I threw in a few extra seeds
for beets and carrots along the edge.
After a month of growing, we had our first frost. I had heard that the
selected vegetables could withstand freezing conditions, but since I
wasn't taking any chances, I fashioned a cloche (the French word for bell,
but used in this case as a covering used to protect a garden) using a
tarpaulin draped over a frame to form a tent. A 300 Watt light bulb was
suspended from the frame to add a little heat inside the tent just for a
little extra insurance.
This season is proving to be true in keeping with our usual unpredictable
Georgia weather. In addition to the occasional frosts, there have been
several heavy rain storms this fall. Additional watering of the garden has
been kept to a minimum. During dry weeks, I may water once every four
or five days. Interestingly enough, this has added only about $1.00 to
my water bill each month.
As my winter garden has started to look quite promising, I have noticed
that none of the traditional gardeners in the neighborhood have
attempted to grow their own winter gardens. As my mouth begins to
water in anticipation of enjoying my home-grown veggies, I have to
think that perhaps raised garden beds are turning out to be the most
effective and productive way of vegetable gardening. Next Chapter
The joys of vegetable gardening aren't confined to just the summer time.
I have discovered that growing vegetables in the fall and winter can be
just as rewarding, with the added benefit of no insect problems. I thought
it curious that the garden centers were selling cabbage, collards, broccoli
and cauliflower seedlings in late September. Could it be that these
varieties could grow during the winter? I decided to find out.
I had grown a very successful summer vegetable garden beginning this
past March in what is termed as a "raised garden bed." These raised
garden beds are so named because the garden is actually constructed
above ground using a wooden frame to contain the soil. I used several
decking planks that I bought at a lumber supply store to form a rectangle
approximately eight feet long and four feet wide. Since the lumber was
only six inches wide, two frames were built so that one could be placed on
top of the other to give it a height of about one foot. A quick trip
to the hardware store provided me with the metal angles I needed to
secure the corners of the boards and wooden dowels used to attach the
top frame to the bottom one. Special decking screws were used in the
assembly because they are treated to resist rust.
Rather than using local soil that tends to be hard packed clay and difficult
to cultivate, the garden bed was filled with a mixture of humus, top soil
and compost bought in 40 pound bags at a local garden center. Since I
wanted the garden to be organic, fertilizer used on golf courses made of
granulated turkey litter was added to the soil. This 50 pound bag was
enough to last for two seasons.
When September rolled around, the exhausted plants from the summer
garden were pulled up, fertilizer was added to the soil and the surface
was smoothly raked out. The four vegetable varieties chosen for the
winter garden were planted as one row each of cabbage, collards,
broccoli and cauliflower. For good measure, I threw in a few extra seeds
for beets and carrots along the edge.
After a month of growing, we had our first frost. I had heard that the
selected vegetables could withstand freezing conditions, but since I
wasn't taking any chances, I fashioned a cloche (the French word for bell,
but used in this case as a covering used to protect a garden) using a
tarpaulin draped over a frame to form a tent. A 300 Watt light bulb was
suspended from the frame to add a little heat inside the tent just for a
little extra insurance.
This season is proving to be true in keeping with our usual unpredictable
Georgia weather. In addition to the occasional frosts, there have been
several heavy rain storms this fall. Additional watering of the garden has
been kept to a minimum. During dry weeks, I may water once every four
or five days. Interestingly enough, this has added only about $1.00 to
my water bill each month.
As my winter garden has started to look quite promising, I have noticed
that none of the traditional gardeners in the neighborhood have
attempted to grow their own winter gardens. As my mouth begins to
water in anticipation of enjoying my home-grown veggies, I have to
think that perhaps raised garden beds are turning out to be the most
effective and productive way of vegetable gardening. Next Chapter
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Hearty Species such as Cabbage,
Cauliflower, Broccoli and Collards
thrive well in the winter.
Cauliflower, Broccoli and Collards
thrive well in the winter.
Crowding the veggies doesn't
seem to affect their growth.
seem to affect their growth.
A Cloche was applied over the
garden when the temperature
was expected to dip below
freezing.
garden when the temperature
was expected to dip below
freezing.
