Winter gardening

Gardening in winter in a cold climate outdoors is possible if you are willing to grow cool weather crops and protect those crops with frost cover, cold frames or a similar structure. It is a cold, snowy 16 degrees F here today however it is January 1 and I am harvesting and planting vegetables in …

It’s the start of another year – and what better way to start off a new year than to direct sow carrot seed in the garden. Yes, you heard that right. Here in Indiana – United States Department of Agriculture hardiness zone 6 – I sow carrot seed in the garden on January 1. Now …

Tunnel house, greenhouse and cold frame garden structures are all great choices growing plants in the winter, but what, exactly is the difference between the three of them? Technically they do the exact same job which is protect plants from the cold weather outside during the winter months. However each one has a slightly different …

Yes, you really can use frost to your advantage in the garden. While often times gardeners don’t worry about frost until fall rolls around, it is an issue in early spring as well. Once you learn the basics of using frost to your advantage, you can get a head start on your spring garden and …

Yes, you can harvest free vegetables year-round in any climate! Getting a head start on the vegetable garden can be tricky if you wait until January because of frozen ground. It seems this time of year if the ground is not frozen it is wet. Neither condition is conducive to tilling, seeding or planting. There …

There are a number of vegetables to plant in February outdoors in the garden, even in cold climates. February means the garden season is one month closer. It also means it is time to tap maple trees. Mid-West gardeners know that by the end of February they are just 12 short weeks away from the …

Winter sown vegetables not only let you get a head start on the spring garden, but they also are tender and taste sweeter than vegetables grown during the typical garden season. This is because cooler weather tends to bring out the sweetness in many vegetables such as carrots. Lettuce grown during the cool months melts …

There are a number of vegetables to plant in January and by planting early you get a  head start on growing early spring vegetables. Planting cool weather crops in January means you will need cold frames and row covers if you live in a cold climate unless you plan to start seeds indoors. Here in Indiana …

Before planting the vegetable garden, it is a good idea to make a plan on paper then prepare cold frames or tunnel houses to protect the crops from unexpected frost in spring. Planning a vegetable garden on paper is something many gardeners do, but they often forget about planning an early spring vegetable garden. Planning the …

Knowing when to plant in spring is half the battle of successful gardening. Gardeners who plant too early end up with dead or damaged crops while gardeners who plant too late wait longer to get harvests. The general rule of thumb is to plant after the last frost in your area. Timing is important and …