Thanks for your video. Not much gardening to do this time of year but planning. My hoop house is doing great, but because of my late start no harvesting for me:( your videos keep me excited for spring. I think I will try starting some seeds indoor just to keep active lol
You had a vortex and we just had a weather bomb evidently that is when the barometer drops by 24 points or more in 24 hours. Rain and lots of wind along with the bomb.
Happy new growing season to you! You're really doing well! A storm wrecked all my covers. I think i'm just going to leave that idea for now until i can build something that will actually hold up in our fall storms. I'm thinking concrete bunker style. :D That is awesome what you can still grow. Really nice! Those double covers are so well built! That would not hold up here unfortunately. All open farmland on the wind side. Won't stand a chance in 7 bft. Last storm i found my entire polytunnel wraped around a tree. The steel pipes were bent and the plastic connectors all cracked asif they were eggshells. The need for something sturdier comes to mind when looking at that twisted pile of debris. :D
Oh, I know what that is like, for sure. Had an old mobile home on a 5 acre site that was moved 20+ feet and collapsed. It pushed over and flattened chain link fencing near it, an above ground water spicket, flattened the power meter, and the steel undercarriage was separated from the top part. Surprisingly a lot of the contents was still under the pushed in walls with the roof ending up under everything. I seriously doubt one of my experimental greenhouses would have stood up to that kind of wind damage, but now I wish I had of left it up just to see. What I did was buy some chain link fencing top rail since it can be curved easy enough on a jig/fixture, and put some thick walled PVC pipe over it that fit snug. You have to put the PVC pipe over the top rail before doing any bending, or it becomes a mission impossible to get it over the top rail afterwards without using heat. Instead of using common PVC pipe connectors, I used thin metal connectors from the cheap carport kits. I was going to get some thicker metal welded into connectors, but haven't done that yet. Otherwise the greenhouse was very standard, like he has in this video,except a little taller.
Wind breaks are a very good point to suggest. Of course the kind of wind damage I got would have been a challenge to hold back without some serious cost and schemes.
Way to mess up Daddy's video Oscar! Hopefully he had sheathed his claws right away! Good video as always Patrick! I've been buying seed already for spring. I want to grow claytonia next year. I've never heard of it so idk how it tastes but it looks good. We have tons of wild Sorrel in the yard as well as dandelion. Im tempted to transplant some of both into their own place in my garden beds in spring. People will FREAK when they see Im growing dandelion! lol Have you ever eaten chickweed? I found out last year it is edible and tastes really good!.It never really dies here ...just hides in the grass. My chickens are missing free-ranging so I've been able to scrape up some for them.
That's what I get for asking Oscar to come up with new ideas for his cameos. 😸Some of the dandelion in our garden was transplanted from other parts of the yard and some was planted from seed (Italian Dandelion). I haven't tried chickweed yet.
Oh that Oscar! Will you need to fix the holes in the greenhouse now? Or did he not damage the greenhouse? :) Amazing harvest again :) Thanks for the tips on cold hardy plants :)
I have Red Kitten spinach and am having trouble getting it to germinate. What's the trick to it's germination? I've tried room temperature, paper towel at room temp and heat mats. It should take 6-10 days to germinate.
I'm sorry to hear that Portia. Spinach germinates best when the soil temperature is around 70f (21c). How old are the seeds? In my experience, spinach seeds don't stay viable for very long.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening The seeds are new from Johnny's. I got them last month. I was surprised they didn't germ on the paper towel on the heat mat. I'll keep trying.
Yes, using paper towel can be tricky. I will try again in soil under lights. It is nice not to have take chances transferring from paper towel. Towels are a good way to see if seeds are viable usually.
Fantastic! Those are some varieties I will add to my early seed order! I really like the Starbor Kale - looks like a dwarf variety of Kale. And as always, Oscar loves to play a part ;) Happy New Year Patrick!
Happy New Year, Huw! Yeah, the Starbor Kale is pretty compact but ours are on the small side because I started them a little late. Oscar knows how to steal a scene. 🐱
Patrick....I wonder if you actually know how helpful you are to so many other gardeners! Your videos are very informative, succinct, and you're willing to share for the benefit of others. Very much appreciated!
Fortunately, we're back to more normal weather now. Still cold, though. Oscar didn't cause much damage at all - just a few tiny holes. Usually, he's pretty good about not doing that but he wanted to put on a show for the camera. 🙀
You're amazing.I'm not very good at this or anything really. And then I tripped and broke my knee cap, so I'm on hiatus until further notice. I used to call Chicago daily to trade, but taking it easy for now. CAN'T EAT YOUR MONEY. Best wishes.
Gee that's cold ..... I'm lucky I live in warm Hawaii ........... but your garden in the frost still looks better then my does in the summer. LOL ............ good job Sir !
Hi Patrick, I am considering season extension from autumn to maybe january. We are in southern Ontario in Canada, zone 4b i believe, and we get temps as low as negative 40Celsius. I wonder if you can explain how you water during the cold months. Secondly, by two layers of cover, can the two layers be touching? As in if i double up the greenhouse plastic does that count as two layers? or must there be an air gap?
That's great, Sandevera! You don't have to water at all when you have less than 10 hours of daylight and temperatures are regularly below freezing. Plants are dormant in those conditions and don't need water. For us, that means we don't water from rougly early December through mid-February. You definitely want a gap between the layers. The air gap adds a lot of extra insulation.
Oh my goodness... Your face when you heard those claws go through that plastic.. I literally cringed watching that. Hopefully that won't hurt your greenhouse too much. Do you plan on covering the holes, or do you think the damage is minimal enough to ignore? You could have water get in, though I would imagine it may not hurt the plants too much unless you left a bunch of snow on top to melt. However, you do seem to keep the house pretty well clear.
Oscar wasn't getting enough camera time, equal billing is just not enough. LOL :-) Good list, my winter crops, which include, Vit and Claytonia are doing OK but somewhat dormant at the moment. They are under the double layer of protection and my sorrel Swiss chard and onions are still surviving with some damage to the bigger leaves in the single layer cold frame. The coldest we have had so far is minus twenty one degrees, so not even close to your lows. Great video and info Patrick, thanks.
Thanks, Kevin! I'm glad to hear your plants are holding up well. Yeah, there's very little growth right now. Our daylight hours are back up to 10 on January 31, so we'll see a pick up in growth then. Things really start to pick up for us in mid-February.
We also grow collard greens. that one was uncovered and has still been producing tons. All our chard died big time. my first time growing vit. mache and Claytonia, glad you said you don't normally harvest till late winter, I'd been wondering... all I see is small little Claytonia everywhere in clumps it seems, lol. Thanks Patrick! Your harvest looks delicious!
Do you two harvest / eat from your garden daily through the winter? I have a family of 5 I think we’d need quite the operation under double coverage but I would love to eat primarily off our land through the winter - any tips on that?
Hi Ryan! If you're in a colder climate, your winter garden can provide all of your greens and carrots, but you'd have to rely on stored and preserved produce from the rest of the year to supply all of your produce needs.
I recently found you and I appreciate your winter tips. I am wondering about watering during the winter. I'm about 2 hrs south of you and am going to try my hand at some winter gardening. I have a small 4x4x8 hoop house.
Hi Patrick. I love following your winter gardening and have been doing it myself for 3 years now in NE Pennsylvania. I also use Winter Density lettuce but my seed needs to be replaced and my normal sources no longer carry it. Can I ask what source you're using?
Congrats on your winter gardening! It looks like my sources is out of seeds too. We bought ours from Johnny's Seeds: www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/lettuce/bibb-lettuce/winter-density-lettuce-seed-442.html
I just did a search online and the seeds are still available at Territorial: www.territorialseed.com/product/winter-density-lettuce-seed/september_planted_veggies
Hi John! I grow tatsoi, mizuna, giant red mustard, and a mustard green that has been self-sowing so long I can't remember it's origin. We usually lose some of our mustards in mid-winter, but they do pretty well under double cover in zone 5.
Ok thanks! I was thinking that the one I saw in one of your videos was the giant red mustard, but wasn't sure. I'm going to be trying out tatsoi also this fall.
We are in Maine and I have been searching for a channel closer to my climate. Thank you! We will be checking out your other videos as well. It is a dream to be self sufficient.
Thanks for all your videos. I tried your method of mulching. Due to over watering the stem part got decayed. It was some healthily long beans which got affected. I think I have mulched a lot. I used only fallen leaves of trees as mulch.could you make a video on watering plants under mulch. If you have already done or you have a suggestion please give me a link. Thanks.
I'm sorry to hear that, Sajid. When you use mulch, you don't have to water nearly as much. I recommend putting your finger a few inches into the soil. If it's moist, don't water. Wait until it feels dry first.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I will be doing it in next crop. Unlike Chicago it's sunny in this part of India now. And it's suitable for beans.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening This may be a dumb question: what's the best way and time to water in such a cold region so that the plants don't freeze? I'm not experienced gardening with hard frosts, but I'd love to know!
I grew Mache for the first time and loved it. Was wondering will it cross with anything wild or another green, and if you grow different types how far to separate it. I've been searching on line and there's surprisingly little info. Thanks.
I'm glad you're enjoying your mache, James! Mache will only cross with other mache varieties. The book "Seed to Seed" says that no information is available on the distance required to prevent crossing between varieties.
for your smaller hoop houses you should put a foil sunlight reflector onto each of them to increase solar light and heat.. also put black water tanks partially filled for heat sink or compost backfill..
When the cat jumped on the plastic. I was OH, NO! I did not even think of that. I am putting a lean too. On the side of my house and have cats. LOL. I put news paper over my Oca, and the 2 layers of plastic. It prolonged the time to keep it outside. You might try some shredded paper to see if that helps on some you lost this winter. I plan to be more prepared to grow into winter next year. Thanks for sharing your results. Best wishes. E :)
You're very welcome! Yes, cats can cause some trouble if you're going to use greenhouse film on your lean-to. Fortunately, Oscar usually stays off the plastic, but every now and then he can't help himself. (He knows better). We mulch the beds with leaves, which should help moderate the soil temperature and protect the plants a little.
I was meaning on top of the plants. I put the news paper on them at night and off when it warmed up more in the day time. It protected the leaves well. Yes, I have green house plastic to put on them green house. I am waiting till end of Jan or Feb. Unless the weather starts warming early. So, I will get a jump on spring.
I did something similar on the coldest nights but used Agribon row cover. You'll love your greenhouse. You can get a big jump on the growing season for sure.
Ok Patrick....I've been ordering seeds this morning including trionfo violet, red veined sorrell and sweet million tomatoes. Thought you'd be proud. I also bought sungold cherry tomatoe, indigo blueberry and chocolate sprinkles cherry tomatoes. Never had them before but they sound fun. With those 4 plus the yellow pear I grew last year, we should have a Fm rainbow for summer eating. Im going to plant several Polish Linguisas for drying and pastes. Happy New Year!
Thanks again for the info. for cold hardy plants.The hinged cold frame tunnels look intriguing,but being next to the Colo.foothills where it gets windy 30 to 50 mph. with pressure differentials in winter,fall,early spring,and unfortunately we also get early T- storms in early spring and late fall which gives us hail and powerful winds .Do you have any issues like that where you grow? I lost my plastic twice to winds and hail!😠 Thanks Patrick and of course Oscar!😊
You're welcome, Uwe! We do get winds that strong, but there are so many wind breaks that wind really isn't an issue for us. I probably wouldn't build one of these in an open area that has winds that strong.
I recently discovered your videos, and am enjoying them greatly. I'm getting ready to have my first non-patio garden in Georgia (where I recently moved). I've seen you talk about claytonia a lot, and I'm wondering what ways you enjoy eating it - I had never heard of it before your videos! Thanks!
I've been very curious about cold weather gardening. I think we are headed into a colder cycle because of the solar slow down. I've heard it is a 200 year cycle. My area went from zone 5 to zone 6 years ago. I wonder if we may be between 4 and 5 soon. Anyway thanks for the info. Oscar is pretty cute, my home would be boring without a cat.
Here in N. AZ our new community garden are experimenting with a greenhouse for the first time. Your info has been shared to all and very much appreciated!
i am definitely going to refer back to this video! it is very helpful. and on the note of oscar. i have been waiting to see him jump up on top! it's really not funny but he's sooo adorable he makes it funny. looking forward to watching your 2017 videos!👍
I've been trying to move to more perennials, so I am interested in the Red Veined Sorrel. When I go to the johnnyseeds link though, it is listed as an annual. What gives?
It's definitely a perennial. The Johnny's Seeds page is a bit confused; they call it an annual and a perennial on the same page. It's perennial in zones 5 and above. If you live in a colder climate, you might be able to grow it as a perennial under cover.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening great! I'm looking at all my seed catalogs, thinking about what varieties to order. there are just so many!!
During summer, the garden provides essentially all of our veggies and most of our fruit. In winter, the garden provides all of our greens and carrots, but we buy fruit, onions, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, etc.
Hi Patrick! I was wondering if any of the types of plants that you grow in the hoop house or double layered low tunnels during the winter actually put on any growth at all during the winter months? Seems like if you are harvesting regularly during the winter, things would get pretty picked over quickly unless they are growing new leaves at least a little bit. Thanks!
Hi John! Growth slows in the fall and comes nearly to a standstill from early December to mid-February. The key is to have mature plants before December. We also plant very intensively to make sure we have enough greens to pick until growth resumes in February. In addition to the cold, the fact that there is less than 10 hours of daylight during this period slows growth considerably.
That's pretty much what I thought, but wanted to ask anyway. Well, that's good, because I just started some seeds indoors for some of my fall/winter plants, such as kale, collards, broccoli, the rest I'll sow in the raised beds shortly, depending on maturity dates. Thanks!
Sounds like you have had more cold then we have so far in Maine, but looking at this next week, we will dip down to below 0 and I noticed one day with a high of 1 degree. Snow on the other hand. I have posts in the main garden that stick out 4' from the ground and they are almost buried. Thanks as usual, Patrick. Blessings.
gardening and pets teach us patience and make us better people!
That they do!
I salute you! In inland South Africa we have some frost in Winter, but nothing like you! You are truly serious and inspirational.
Thanks! Yeah, it gets quite a bit colder here.🙁
great harvest! we had a light freeze in the part of Arizona that we live I lost two of my potatoes plants,
Thanks, Rose! Even if the potato greens died back, the potatoes might grow new ones when it warms up.
Thanks for the tip, have a happy and safe new year.
Thanks for all your videos. They are very informative, I hope to have my cattle panel hoop house up and running next year.
You're welcome! Best wishes with your cattle panel hoop house!
Way to go! I live in Southern California, I have no excuse! Thanks for the videos!
You're welcome! Best wishes with your garden.
I think this extreme cold and wonky weather will be typical. Thanks for the information.
Unfortunately, I think you're right, Cindy.
Thanks for your video. Not much gardening to do this time of year but planning. My hoop house is doing great, but because of my late start no harvesting for me:( your videos keep me excited for spring. I think I will try starting some seeds indoor just to keep active lol
You're welcome, Kimberly! Spring will be here before you know it.
Best info ever. Thanks so very much.
Thanks!
Nice video. Thank you for the content!
Thanks!
The inclusion, or perhaps intrusion, of Oscar adds pleasure and humor to your videos.
👋😺👍
You could drape space blankets over your hoop houses.
Great idea!
You had a vortex and we just had a weather bomb evidently that is when the barometer drops by 24 points or more in 24 hours. Rain and lots of wind along with the bomb.
We're happy to be back to our normal cold December weather now. -34c wind chills are crazy! I hope it gets back to normal where you are.
Thank you!
Happy new growing season to you! You're really doing well! A storm wrecked all my covers. I think i'm just going to leave that idea for now until i can build something that will actually hold up in our fall storms. I'm thinking concrete bunker style. :D That is awesome what you can still grow. Really nice! Those double covers are so well built! That would not hold up here unfortunately. All open farmland on the wind side. Won't stand a chance in 7 bft. Last storm i found my entire polytunnel wraped around a tree. The steel pipes were bent and the plastic connectors all cracked asif they were eggshells. The need for something sturdier comes to mind when looking at that twisted pile of debris. :D
Thanks! Sorry to hear that the storms claimed your covers. Yeah, having lots of wind breaks around the garden helps a lot. Happy New Year!
Oh, I know what that is like, for sure. Had an old mobile home on a 5 acre site that was moved 20+ feet and collapsed. It pushed over and flattened chain link fencing near it, an above ground water spicket, flattened the power meter, and the steel undercarriage was separated from the top part. Surprisingly a lot of the contents was still under the pushed in walls with the roof ending up under everything. I seriously doubt one of my experimental greenhouses would have stood up to that kind of wind damage, but now I wish I had of left it up just to see. What I did was buy some chain link fencing top rail since it can be curved easy enough on a jig/fixture, and put some thick walled PVC pipe over it that fit snug. You have to put the PVC pipe over the top rail before doing any bending, or it becomes a mission impossible to get it over the top rail afterwards without using heat. Instead of using common PVC pipe connectors, I used thin metal connectors from the cheap carport kits. I was going to get some thicker metal welded into connectors, but haven't done that yet. Otherwise the greenhouse was very standard, like he has in this video,except a little taller.
Wind breaks are a very good point to suggest. Of course the kind of wind damage I got would have been a challenge to hold back without some serious cost and schemes.
Way to mess up Daddy's video Oscar! Hopefully he had sheathed his claws right away! Good video as always Patrick! I've been buying seed already for spring. I want to grow claytonia next year. I've never heard of it so idk how it tastes but it looks good. We have tons of wild Sorrel in the yard as well as dandelion. Im tempted to transplant some of both into their own place in my garden beds in spring. People will FREAK when they see Im growing dandelion! lol Have you ever eaten chickweed? I found out last year it is edible and tastes really good!.It never really dies here ...just hides in the grass. My chickens are missing free-ranging so I've been able to scrape up some for them.
That's what I get for asking Oscar to come up with new ideas for his cameos. 😸Some of the dandelion in our garden was transplanted from other parts of the yard and some was planted from seed (Italian Dandelion). I haven't tried chickweed yet.
I'm in zone 5 (northern Indiana) and the kale plant that was left outside uncovered, I just harvested that today! Hardy little things.
dang it was 82f today in southern California. it's going to rain tomorrow, can't win them all.
That sounds very nice!
Oh that Oscar! Will you need to fix the holes in the greenhouse now? Or did he not damage the greenhouse? :) Amazing harvest again :) Thanks for the tips on cold hardy plants :)
Thanks! Fortunately, Oscar only poked a few tiny holes in the plastic.
Hi Oscar!!!
Oscar!
Never a dull moment with Oscar around!
I have never even heard of claytonia. If you had to compare it to another veggie, what would you say it tasted like?
Chuck
I'd describe it as crispy, succulent, and mild. It's not bitter like some greens. It gets quite a bit bigger in late winter and early spring.
I have Red Kitten spinach and am having trouble getting it to germinate. What's the trick to it's germination? I've tried room temperature, paper towel at room temp and heat mats. It should take 6-10 days to germinate.
I'm sorry to hear that Portia. Spinach germinates best when the soil temperature is around 70f (21c). How old are the seeds? In my experience, spinach seeds don't stay viable for very long.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening The seeds are new from Johnny's. I got them last month. I was surprised they didn't germ on the paper towel on the heat mat. I'll keep trying.
You might have better luck starting them in soil under lights with no heat mat. That's how I'm starting mine. They germinated in about a week.
Yes, using paper towel can be tricky. I will try again in soil under lights. It is nice not to have take chances transferring from paper towel. Towels are a good way to see if seeds are viable usually.
Is this dandelion the same as the dandelions that grow wild in the yard?
yes
were you able to eat any of the stuf that died
Yes, fortunately, I was able to salvage some of the lettuce leaves.
i'm growing rutabaga.
I love rutabaga!
High five Oscar 😁
negative??? Is that the same as Minus??? for goodness sake!!!!
Yes, it's the same.
no it isn't...
Fantastic! Those are some varieties I will add to my early seed order! I really like the Starbor Kale - looks like a dwarf variety of Kale. And as always, Oscar loves to play a part ;) Happy New Year Patrick!
Happy New Year, Huw! Yeah, the Starbor Kale is pretty compact but ours are on the small side because I started them a little late. Oscar knows how to steal a scene. 🐱
Patrick....I wonder if you actually know how helpful you are to so many other gardeners! Your videos are very informative, succinct, and you're willing to share for the benefit of others. Very much appreciated!
Thanks so much for saying that, Jim! I really appreciate it. It's a great motivator.
Its true!
I agree with jim, thx for having heart and sharing.
what an excellent video. I love the hours of sunshine comparison section. you are a UA-cam treasure.
Thanks so much!
it doesn't look like you have a problem with white powdery mildew at all
Lol, Oscar is too funny!! Love your list of hardy crops , and your honesty about the red vein 😊
Thanks! I'm glad you found the list helpful. Yes, Oscar is quite a little character. 😸
Wow -9º! We survived a close call with 17º and everything was droopy.
Did Oscar's claws tear the greenhouse film? Goofball.
Fortunately, we're back to more normal weather now. Still cold, though. Oscar didn't cause much damage at all - just a few tiny holes. Usually, he's pretty good about not doing that but he wanted to put on a show for the camera. 🙀
I liked the video as soon as you high fived the cat.
I would add turnips ,radishes and green onions. Great roasted together with the carrots.
Loved the time lapse stuff, it really added value to the video. And they say that 2016 has been the warmest year since the XIX century...
Thanks! I'm glad the time lapse was helpful. I need to do more of those.
This is such a great way to beat the winter blues.
I couldn't agree more. It makes winter go by a lot faster too.
You're amazing.I'm not very good at this or anything really. And then I tripped and broke my knee cap, so I'm on hiatus until further notice. I used to call Chicago daily to trade, but taking it easy for now. CAN'T EAT YOUR MONEY. Best wishes.
Thanks! Here's wishing you a speedy recovery. Did you trade commodities?
Gee that's cold ..... I'm lucky I live in warm Hawaii ........... but your garden in the frost still looks better then my does in the summer. LOL ............ good job Sir !
Thanks! Hawaii sounds great right about now. Best wishes with your garden!
I started watching your videos because of Oscar.
Look for a best of Oscar compilation video later this month (I'm shooting for 1/26).
Patrick is it too late to plant sunchokes now in mid August in my zone 8b garden with 8 hrs of sun per day.
The best time to plant them is early spring. Alternatively, you could plant them after the first frost.
Hi Patrick, I am considering season extension from autumn to maybe january. We are in southern Ontario in Canada, zone 4b i believe, and we get temps as low as negative 40Celsius. I wonder if you can explain how you water during the cold months. Secondly, by two layers of cover, can the two layers be touching? As in if i double up the greenhouse plastic does that count as two layers? or must there be an air gap?
That's great, Sandevera! You don't have to water at all when you have less than 10 hours of daylight and temperatures are regularly below freezing. Plants are dormant in those conditions and don't need water. For us, that means we don't water from rougly early December through mid-February. You definitely want a gap between the layers. The air gap adds a lot of extra insulation.
Giving me dangerous ideas.. My wife won't like this lol...
She'll warm up to it! lol...
Oh my goodness... Your face when you heard those claws go through that plastic.. I literally cringed watching that. Hopefully that won't hurt your greenhouse too much. Do you plan on covering the holes, or do you think the damage is minimal enough to ignore? You could have water get in, though I would imagine it may not hurt the plants too much unless you left a bunch of snow on top to melt. However, you do seem to keep the house pretty well clear.
Yeah, that's a sound I don't want to hear. Lol Fortunately, he only made a few tiny holes, which I can patch with greenhouse tape.
Thanks for the information. It's on my list of things to do next year. Looking forward to seeing how it goes here.
You're very welcome! You should have great results in your zone as long as you have a sunny spot in winter.
I love dandilions in my salad. They die back in winter but if I grow it under cover they should still grow in winter???
Hi Rachel! Depending on where you live, the greens may survive the winter under cover. Ours survive winter under double cover in zone 5.
Oscar wasn't getting enough camera time, equal billing is just not enough. LOL :-) Good list, my winter crops, which include, Vit and Claytonia are doing OK but somewhat dormant at the moment. They are under the double layer of protection and my sorrel Swiss chard and onions are still surviving with some damage to the bigger leaves in the single layer cold frame. The coldest we have had so far is minus twenty one degrees, so not even close to your lows. Great video and info Patrick, thanks.
Thanks, Kevin! I'm glad to hear your plants are holding up well. Yeah, there's very little growth right now. Our daylight hours are back up to 10 on January 31, so we'll see a pick up in growth then. Things really start to pick up for us in mid-February.
We also grow collard greens. that one was uncovered and has still been producing tons. All our chard died big time. my first time growing vit. mache and Claytonia, glad you said you don't normally harvest till late winter, I'd been wondering... all I see is small little Claytonia everywhere in clumps it seems, lol.
Thanks Patrick! Your harvest looks delicious!
Thanks! Just wait to see what happens in late winter. Your mache and claytonia will take off like you won't believe.
Thanks so much for information am hoping to put pine bark in my garden from my understanding it doesn't rob the ph, level
You're welcome, Charlie! You're right. Using pine park as mulch won't have a significant impact on pH.
Do you two harvest / eat from your garden daily through the winter? I have a family of 5 I think we’d need quite the operation under double coverage but I would love to eat primarily off our land through the winter - any tips on that?
Hi Ryan! If you're in a colder climate, your winter garden can provide all of your greens and carrots, but you'd have to rely on stored and preserved produce from the rest of the year to supply all of your produce needs.
oh no! i thot i could hear oscar puncturing the plastic as he climbed. is the plastic ok?
No worries. It just takes a little bit of greenhouse tape to patch it up.
Here in South Louisiana, I am still picking peppers!!
I can't believe we were picking them here too just last month!
The Rusty Spigot same in Saint Louis, I picked Tabasco peppers today
Adding additional felines to the greenhouse would keep it warmer.
Hi Tammi! They make gardening in winter more fun too!
Really useful list! And that hinged double frame is slick
Thanks!
That is lame!
Will you move, or hug the vortex?
I'll stay. I actually prefer the cold over too much heat.
I recently found you and I appreciate your winter tips. I am wondering about watering during the winter. I'm about 2 hrs south of you and am going to try my hand at some winter gardening. I have a small 4x4x8 hoop house.
have you ever tried growing crops with aquaponics
I haven't tried aquaponics yet.
Hi Patrick. I love following your winter gardening and have been doing it myself for 3 years now in NE Pennsylvania. I also use Winter Density lettuce but my seed needs to be replaced and my normal sources no longer carry it. Can I ask what source you're using?
Congrats on your winter gardening! It looks like my sources is out of seeds too. We bought ours from Johnny's Seeds: www.johnnyseeds.com/vegetables/lettuce/bibb-lettuce/winter-density-lettuce-seed-442.html
I just did a search online and the seeds are still available at Territorial: www.territorialseed.com/product/winter-density-lettuce-seed/september_planted_veggies
Thanks!
Hi Patrick! What variety of mustard green do you grow for winter? Thanks!
Hi John! I grow tatsoi, mizuna, giant red mustard, and a mustard green that has been self-sowing so long I can't remember it's origin. We usually lose some of our mustards in mid-winter, but they do pretty well under double cover in zone 5.
Ok thanks! I was thinking that the one I saw in one of your videos was the giant red mustard, but wasn't sure. I'm going to be trying out tatsoi also this fall.
We are in Maine and I have been searching for a channel closer to my climate. Thank you! We will be checking out your other videos as well. It is a dream to be self sufficient.
Crazy cat lol.
The top eight crops: kale, lettuce, red kitten spinach, mache, carrots, claytonia, red vein sorrel, and dandelions.
Thanks for all your videos. I tried your method of mulching. Due to over watering the stem part got decayed. It was some healthily long beans which got affected. I think I have mulched a lot. I used only fallen leaves of trees as mulch.could you make a video on watering plants under mulch. If you have already done or you have a suggestion please give me a link. Thanks.
I'm sorry to hear that, Sajid. When you use mulch, you don't have to water nearly as much. I recommend putting your finger a few inches into the soil. If it's moist, don't water. Wait until it feels dry first.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening Thanks a lot for your suggestion. I will be doing it in next crop. Unlike Chicago it's sunny in this part of India now. And it's suitable for beans.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening
This may be a dumb question: what's the best way and time to water in such a cold region so that the plants don't freeze? I'm not experienced gardening with hard frosts, but I'd love to know!
New Subscriber. Chicago and Zone 5 native. Keep the videos coming
I grew Mache for the first time and loved it. Was wondering will it cross with anything wild or another green, and if you grow different types how far to separate it. I've been searching on line and there's surprisingly little info. Thanks.
I'm glad you're enjoying your mache, James! Mache will only cross with other mache varieties. The book "Seed to Seed" says that no information is available on the distance required to prevent crossing between varieties.
Great. Thanks for the info. Love your videos. I've learned a lot. I'll check out that book as well. Have a good one.
Thanks! "Seed to Seed" is a great resources. Here's a link to the book on Amazon: amzn.to/2iNwcbF
LOL Oscar keeps the tunnels well ventilated,
Oscar is always happy to help. lol
for your smaller hoop houses you should put a foil sunlight reflector onto each of them to increase solar light and heat.. also put black water tanks partially filled for heat sink or compost backfill..
When the cat jumped on the plastic. I was OH, NO! I did not even think of that. I am putting a lean too. On the side of my house and have cats. LOL. I put news paper over my Oca, and the 2 layers of plastic. It prolonged the time to keep it outside. You might try some shredded paper to see if that helps on some you lost this winter. I plan to be more prepared to grow into winter next year. Thanks for sharing your results. Best wishes. E :)
You're very welcome! Yes, cats can cause some trouble if you're going to use greenhouse film on your lean-to. Fortunately, Oscar usually stays off the plastic, but every now and then he can't help himself. (He knows better). We mulch the beds with leaves, which should help moderate the soil temperature and protect the plants a little.
I was meaning on top of the plants. I put the news paper on them at night and off when it warmed up more in the day time. It protected the leaves well. Yes, I have green house plastic to put on them green house. I am waiting till end of Jan or Feb. Unless the weather starts warming early. So, I will get a jump on spring.
I did something similar on the coldest nights but used Agribon row cover. You'll love your greenhouse. You can get a big jump on the growing season for sure.
Let that be a lesson to you...never trust a cat. 🐱 lol
Lesson learned!
You are doing well Patrick. The double insulation has done it job.
Thanks, Patrick!
you deserve more viewers and views .. I hope you keep going with these videos
Thanks, Oliver! I appreciate your support!
Ok Patrick....I've been ordering seeds this morning including trionfo violet, red veined sorrell and sweet million tomatoes. Thought you'd be proud. I also bought sungold cherry tomatoe, indigo blueberry and chocolate sprinkles cherry tomatoes. Never had them before but they sound fun. With those 4 plus the yellow pear I grew last
year, we should have a Fm rainbow for summer eating. Im going to plant several Polish Linguisas for drying and pastes. Happy New Year!
Very cool, Jill! Happy New Year!
I was so excited to see you post a video today! thanks
Thanks, Tanya!
Thanks again for the info. for cold hardy plants.The hinged cold frame tunnels look intriguing,but being next to the Colo.foothills where it gets windy 30 to 50 mph. with pressure differentials in winter,fall,early spring,and unfortunately we also get early T- storms in early spring and late fall which gives us hail and powerful winds .Do you have any issues like that where you grow? I lost my plastic twice to winds and hail!😠 Thanks Patrick and of course Oscar!😊
You're welcome, Uwe! We do get winds that strong, but there are so many wind breaks that wind really isn't an issue for us. I probably wouldn't build one of these in an open area that has winds that strong.
very nice greens. thanks Patrick
Thanks!
I recently discovered your videos, and am enjoying them greatly. I'm getting ready to have my first non-patio garden in Georgia (where I recently moved). I've seen you talk about claytonia a lot, and I'm wondering what ways you enjoy eating it - I had never heard of it before your videos! Thanks!
Thanks! We almost always eat it raw in salads, but when we have a ton of it we eat it in cooked dishes as a spinach substitute.
I've been very curious about cold weather gardening. I think we are headed into a colder cycle because of the solar slow down. I've heard it is a 200 year cycle. My area went from zone 5 to zone 6 years ago. I wonder if we may be between 4 and 5 soon. Anyway thanks for the info. Oscar is pretty cute, my home would be boring without a cat.
You're welcome! Oscar always keeps us entertained.
Here in N. AZ our new community garden are experimenting with a greenhouse for the first time. Your info has been shared to all and very much appreciated!
You're welcome, Stephanie! I'm glad the videos have helped.
i am definitely going to refer back to this video! it is very helpful. and on the note of oscar. i have been waiting to see him jump up on top! it's really not funny but he's sooo adorable he makes it funny. looking forward to watching your 2017 videos!👍
I'm glad you found the video helpful! That's what I get for asking Oscar to come up with new ideas for his cameos. 😸
Can we see more of your grow room?
Yes, I'll definitely show the grow room in videos this winter.
Thanks!
Thank you. Full of information.
I've been trying to move to more perennials, so I am interested in the Red Veined Sorrel. When I go to the johnnyseeds link though, it is listed as an annual. What gives?
It's definitely a perennial. The Johnny's Seeds page is a bit confused; they call it an annual and a perennial on the same page. It's perennial in zones 5 and above. If you live in a colder climate, you might be able to grow it as a perennial under cover.
Love your gardening in the winter , thank
Thanks, Lisa!
Oscar has done it again :-D Looks like I'll have to order from JSS soon!
Oscar never disappoints! I like that JSS has seeds specifically for four season gardeners.
Could you Pin the list to the top of the vid plz
Thank you nice video. Hah His nails dig right in.a my cat loves to jump on my greenhouse too.
Thanks Rose!
That looks tasty.
Thanks!
have you started planning out what you'll be planting come spring?
Yes, I'll be sharing my spring garden layout and planting schedule soon.
OneYardRevolution | Frugal & Sustainable Organic Gardening great! I'm looking at all my seed catalogs, thinking about what varieties to order. there are just so many!!
I know the feeling!
Could you use mirrors to reflect more sun?
It is interesting what you harvest during winter and summer. I am curious what % of food you harvest makes up your weekly meals in summer vs winter.
During summer, the garden provides essentially all of our veggies and most of our fruit. In winter, the garden provides all of our greens and carrots, but we buy fruit, onions, potatoes, peppers, tomatoes, etc.
That cat is secretly a human fyi
Oh boy yeah if you have greenhouses
I need a garden helper like Oscar!
Hi Patrick! I was wondering if any of the types of plants that you grow in the hoop house or double layered low tunnels during the winter actually put on any growth at all during the winter months? Seems like if you are harvesting regularly during the winter, things would get pretty picked over quickly unless they are growing new leaves at least a little bit. Thanks!
Hi John! Growth slows in the fall and comes nearly to a standstill from early December to mid-February. The key is to have mature plants before December. We also plant very intensively to make sure we have enough greens to pick until growth resumes in February. In addition to the cold, the fact that there is less than 10 hours of daylight during this period slows growth considerably.
That's pretty much what I thought, but wanted to ask anyway. Well, that's good, because I just started some seeds indoors for some of my fall/winter plants, such as kale, collards, broccoli, the rest I'll sow in the raised beds shortly, depending on maturity dates. Thanks!
Awesome !
Thanks, Robin!
Sounds like you have had more cold then we have so far in Maine, but looking at this next week, we will dip down to below 0 and I noticed one day with a high of 1 degree. Snow on the other hand. I have posts in the main garden that stick out 4' from the ground and they are almost buried.
Thanks as usual, Patrick.
Blessings.
There's nothing more exciting than coming across a video of yours that I somehow missed. Thank you for this and all you teach us!
Finally an expert gardener UA-camr in my zone/area! I keep wondering how information I gather will translate to the north shore area of Chicago!
Great!Happy New Year!
Happy New Year!
Thanks
Your welcome, Brenda!