Yep just that easy and straight to the point. You can also use heating cable to get even more growing. At 3500' mt town I lived in I was able to heat the ground to 80° 2' down and have topsoil 6" deep at 65°. I used a timer that clicked on after 8pm and clicked off at 6am... I did this in a 5x10 raised bed. Im sure it will work in other situation. Need to find one with a thermostat. I also attached cable to a plastic fence with 4-6" of sand underneath and 2-4" of sand covering the cable. Even heat distribution and will hold the heat much longer. Oh yeah I went out during a -5° cold snap and the soil temperature was 55° at 6"....🤔🙄🤠
Just looked at your video on sowing vegetables in winter i have a little tip that i do in my polytunnel to bring vegetables on quickly dig a trench place freshly cut grass clippings in trench cover with soil and in a few hours the grass clippings will heat up and also the soil and it will bring on your plants or seed faster than normal I've done this with cucumbers in a tub and have had fantastic results
@Carol Ann when I was little we had a pool that had a cover that floated on the water and it resembled heavy duty bubble wrap. It kept our pool very warm all year. Never thought to use the same concept in my garden but it makes perfect sense LOL
I live in Northern California in the heart of the Redwood forest and can grow a garden 365 days a year. I have greenhouses that I have bush snow peas, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, beets and radishes growing. My tomatoes are still producing. I put in 7 rows of garlic and in early February will be planting onions. I feel lucky to have the ideal conditions to grow so many healthy veggies. Next I will be planting spinach and cilantro. I believe, no matter where you live, you can grow food. It just takes some imagination and covering plants properly. Thanks for posting a great video on winter gardening. Happy Gardening Everyone!
do u have to cover underneath aswel cause i have cheap greenhouses and they only save me like 1 degree at night lol, it kinda seems like it should be freezing in there cause its getting down to like 1 degree above freezing every night lol but i have tropical fruit seedlings like jakfruit and most of them are still alive so whts the deal there? the figs and mulberrys dropped there leaves.. actually to be honest the most tropical plants i have seem to have the hardiest leaves lol its just they dont go dormant they just die
I put in leeks and also onions which will be ready in Spring. Also you can leave potatoes in ground over winter and pick as needed. Chard and mustard leaves are other good veg leaves to try as well as raddish
During the winter I use a composting enclosure to Hot Compost in my Poly Tunnel, the surface temperature can exceed 20 Deg C and and I can place pots and trays on the surface of the compostr
Great video. For anyone interested, I have 2- 4'x8' raised garden beds. They have risers on each corner, made from ripped decking to make a corner, framed in on the top. I do this to have something to tie a tomato trellises to, and to hang fencing on to keep out the deer and other animals. But, the really cool thing is, for late fall or late winter, they are easily converted to greenhouses by just adding plastic. If you're crafty, the sky is the limit, just add imagination. The only draw back is, the cost of soil when you first build them. You could think ahead of time and start composting so you'll have soil for them.
Hi Barry. That's a great idea. Having that versatility is really handy - and the benefit of having that extra cold protection really means you'll be able to get well ahead. The raised beds will also give better drainage, which means the soil can warm up quicker in spring, particularly if it's got a clear cover over it as you suggest.
GrowVeg Hi. I was reading your reply and thought, "this guy really knows a thing or two about gardening". Then I looked at who you were, lol. Well of course you know a thing or two. It means a lot to have someone with your knowledge, to like my idea. My raised beds really solve a lot of problems for me, with a lot of advantages. Some advantages are the garden is always small and manageable, it lets me practice square foot gardening and succession gardening, as well as different permacuture/companion planting combinations, it also makes irrigation much more compact and manageable. It just seems everything is easier and simpler. The only drawback I found was, well, they cost money, lol. They were worth every penny.
Barry Jordan Thanks for your comment Barry! Sounds like you have a great setup there. One other benefit that is seldom mentioned for raised beds is that they stop the soil getting compacted. Vegetables grow so much better when the soil isn't walked on as the aeration and drainage are considerably improved. As you say, raised beds cost a lot to make but they pay back plenty over the years.
I do the same, with wire hoops and netting for insects, then just add the fleece for cold when needed. Easy on and off. Of course your decking gives consistent height across the beds even on edges, where mine is curved downward.
Thank you for the video. I have never tasted pea shoots but since I have a couple of packets of pea seeds , then I will give them a go. I grow salad leaves all through the winter in hanging baskets in my greenhouse. The hanging baskets keep the salad leaves off the cold soil and make it very hard for slugs to reach them. Microgreens are another good source of fresh produce during the winter and can be grown on indoor window sills. Eibhlin
I was amazed at the lettuces that reseeded themselves this winter, sprouting up in the isles in January! Most did not last through periods of hard freezes over several nights, but I have arugula in a pathway that has gone to seed already! Just finished my third year garden plan using the planner - love the companion planting and crop rotation indicators as we move forward. People assume I have been gardening for years - thanks for making me look good! 🤗🍆🥔🥕🌽🌶🥒🍅🍓
Glad you're getting such good use out of the Garden Planner. The extra features do help a lot - but I'm sure you're gardening skills are also behind your success!
The Planner makes it look like I have been gardening for years - but this is only my 3rd year! All done with the planner 😀 if I had "fit to window" option it would be perfect! You guys contacted me last year wanting to profile my plan and show photos, etc. We were selling a home and it was chaos. Perhaps it will be less crazy this year and I can better document. Enjoyed pickles and tomato soup this weekend we canned last July!
Oh, so great! I'm in Massachusetts. We still have lots of cold and snow ahead, but this give me hope that I don't have to wait until May to start planting!!
Cheryl G did you have any success with this? I too live in Massachusetts and as a first time gardener, I feel so impatient to try growing my own food. I bought so many seeds.
Plan to put my fruiting tomatoes and other veggies growing under grow light into the ground after the last frost. I've been growing indoor this will be the first time I've had property to grow outdoors on besides a patio! Hyped
Thanks for yet another very useful video. I am having great success with raves, sown directly onto soil on a raised veg table, and covered with horticultural fleece. The same methods has allowed me to have late planted carrots and have been growing all winter long; now the leaves are about 10-15 cm tall already!
Early potatoes. I've seen plenty of examples of early potatoes started in containers end of February, and harvested anywhere from 60-110 days later, or may 1 through mid June
My first comment hadn't mentioned that I want to start my early crops in my greenhouse BUT inside a small greenhouse/shelter INSIDE my BIG greenhouse, NOT, in the ground. I can keep THAT at a low of 39F. I use incandescent Christmas lights to add heat, they go off when it reaches about 49F. I have a pipe heater plug in device that comes on when it gets about 38F. I also have a "thermocube" that comes on when it goes down to 35F and most likely will turn off once it gets a bit warmer than 35F.
Thanks for the great information! I'm in Pennsylvania, zone 5. I start a lot of veg indoors. I had no idea peas germinate at such a low temperature. I'll definitely be starting the peas and cabbage early. I planted lettuce on my window sill in November! Yum.
Thank you. I live in southern coastal Australia. No Frost's but we basically get 6 months of winter, the sudden hot summer for 6 months and hardly any spring or autumn. So you need to plan planting time very carefully to ensure some veggies don't bolt to seed if you plant them too late eg start of summer, when they look like they are doing well, but stuff like silver beet, lettuce etc quickly goes to seed before you get to pick any to eat. So, finding some clever way to germinate seeds in late winter can avoid this problem. And your techniques help. But there also a few I decided which work if you do not have a cold frame and such useful things. Eg I used a few tricks I devised, involving normal household things, like aluminium foil, empty glass or plastic bottles, old electric blankets which still work etc. Use your imagination and ingenuity. I like to plant crops of broad beans in winter, ready for early summer harvesting, mainly because I am country raised and expect to be able to just go out and pick straight from nature whatever I want to eat, instead of enduring the yuk of "shopping", people, supermarkets, checkouts etc and now, worse still in Australia, no plastic bags to carry your shopping, no service, just automated checkouts. One of the things I like to walk around to just pick and eat are raw broadbeans, ripening nice and tender and juicy, in early summer, if planted in mid Winter. Just ensure there is enough sunlight where you plant them. No cold frames or special insulation required. Straight into the ground, unless it is frozen. Germination is aided by soaking seeds overnight in like warm water before planting ie similar to the principle that applies to growing many Australian bush native plants, many of who need to be soaked in boiling water a while to enable them to germinate. This is to replicate their conditions growing wild in the bush, where they need bushfires to burn through the ground so they can then germinate or they need the heat. It's great knowing some of these clever horticultural tricks.
I have a greenhouse made from a single car garage. Have been growing radish, peas, lettuce, carrots, spinach, green onions, cilantro, broccoli, celery, and herbs. Wonderful flavor, no pesticides, just home grown goodness! We just received 33” of snow this week and greenhouse has a small heater and I use Temp Stick to monitor inside temperature. This spring will use a small AC unit to cool down the GH because it can be very warm inside. Zone 7, mountains of AZ.
@@GrowVeg this is the first winter that I’ve had this greenhouse. In the past fought critters and snow. Am experimenting as well...who’d a thunk green brans would grow in the winter? I also am growing a dwarf improved meyer lemon tree, and the UofA cooperative extension did advise it would grow here but to keep it in the greenhouse. Am also growing a dwarf clementine mandarine tree...fingers crossed..never grew one before! I follow your videos in The Old Farmers Almanac as well...you the guru of planting!
Mustard and cilantro will go to flower very quickly with warm weather when planted in the spring. I prefer to plant these in the late summer/early fall (zone 6).
Great video, and I'll share some of my early successes. I sow Sobi (Chinese cabbage), mesclun and perpetual spinach in my polytunnel late autumn and have a crop all year round. I have parsnips in the ground that I'm still digging. The best crop though is Welsh bunching onions - a form of spring onion. I don't have to do anything with them except eat them. I often cut off just above the root, and they'll regrow. I also let several go to seed and they replant themselves. I already have some ready to eat now.
A lot of vegetables sown in the autumn will sit quietly through winter then re-grow as soon as the weather warms up in early spring. Perpetual spinach is incredibly generous - lots of leaves over a very long time. Kale is also great for early spring leaves.
I started an indoor garden. Some greens like Longevity spinach (Gynura Procumbens) And Okinawan spinach. They grow best indoors actually. The propagate easily. I will try some of your recommendations indoors such as the Asian greens, carrots and pea shoots. Thank you as always great video.
Fantastic. Thanks for this. I live in the U.S., Pacific Northwest and our weather is a lot more like the UK than anywhere else in the States. I have a few PNW gardeners that I follow, but finding some from elsewhere that has similar weather is fantastic. Also, slugs are the bane of everything. ;)
+Kit DuBhran Slugs - tell me about it! Glad you've found out channel. One of our team used to work in Portland, OR for a little while and it's amazing how similar the plants and growing conditions are to the UK.
i have heard slugs hate coffee grounds but it isnt something i have tested i live in OR i have had the same parsley plant for about three years in my garden so thats an option if you dont have some already also the type of green onions from winco can be grown again just cut the bottom part of the bulb and put it in loose soil and eat the tops
We're also in the PNW, about an hour north - I've been following with GrowVeg & sure like that UK has similar wx and issues as here in PNW. We have tough issues from gnats, slugs and low light issues.
Kit DuBhran I use a hand spreader to broadcast Epsom salt on the soil surface, works for grubs under the soil when it dissolves also and fertilizes the plants.
Dammit, I'm ready to take a jackhammer to my frozen soil, throw some seeds in there, and then sit outside glaring at the ground willing it to grow. Or I could have another beer and chill out for a month or two. I could go either way at this point.
GrowVeg Heh. Maybe if I just crank up the heat high enough, the soil right beside the house will thaw enough to plant some peas or something...Okay, I need an intervention.
Nah, I enjoy the changing seasons, even the first half of winter...it just starts to get old maybe from mid-January to late February, but then it just makes spring that much more appreciated. Maybe some mid-point like Virginia or North Carolina, where you still get 4 seasons, but the winters aren't quite as long...maybe.
Great video and timely info, to get gardeners excited! The feature you mentioned of the garden planner software that automatically adjusts the planting dates based on the type of winter protection one puts over the beds is a great one! Will be very handy!
Great vid, as usual. Practical and inspirational, a rare combo. Sad to say, we live in a condo so cannot have any sort of row cover outside. BUT, I grow small takeout-trays of pea and radish microgreens under the grow-lights we use to start early spring lettuce, kale, and spinach. I'm also going to try starting several plugs of peas inside during late February to get a month's jump.
That's great to hear Leo. Microgreens are so satisfying to grow, and one of the most nutrient-dense things you can eat, so you're doing well to grow them.
@@GrowVeg We feast on microgreens all year long. Winters under a grow light. After the Great Lakes deep freeze is over (in the Midwestern USA), I'll move them outside.
I grow my pea shoots outside: no fleece, no lamps, no frames, no additional spend. Only think it to place them out of rech of small mammals and gastropods.
Rodents hate mint. So you can place a few drops of peppermint essential oil, from the health food store, in a spray bottle from the dollar store, and fill with water. Shake, and spray the area where you do not want them digging. Done.
if you have high winds - you should consider in the future to change greenhouse shape as geodesic it can be dome shaped also extended. grow vertical garden for maximum use of space
I have not seen you mention peppers of any kind on any of your videos. I have had great success growing green and chili peppers in containers on my small patio. I live in Las Vegas and have unique weather challenges. Even with these challenging conditions I have had a green pepper and a banana pepper plant growing for two years now. I have a large amount of each growing on the plants. My patio is small at 6x10 but grows a large amount of herbs and peppers. Plenty enough to share.
+Joline D We have nothing against peppers! We will certainly bear them in mind for when a suitable video topic comes up. Your peppers sound like they're really thriving in the hot Las Vegan climate. I struggle with peppers in my British climate!
GrowVeg I live in Minnesota and the smaller mini sweet peppers seem to be cold hardy. I gather my seeds from the store bought peppers, very common here not sure about there.
Thank you for all the great information. I have a cold frame that I haven't yet used like this looking forward to some early salad lettuce and green onions.
Grow a mix of greens, with only 1-2 mizunas to supplement. If it's not the main lettuce in the salad, mizuna and arugula become accents rather than the main ingredient. The last time I grew arugula, one plant provided all I could eat mixed in with other lettuces. Not a big family though. Just a thought. Good luck!
This dude doesn't appear to have aged a bit! He does have a much brighter and pleasant approach to the newer videos however. (Had to figure out what the heck I can get outside here in the winter still).
Our winter lasts from november till april, and we usually have 4-5 feet of Snow. ........ difficult to grow anything in the ground outdoors then. But a polytunnel will do the trick. ......
Just what I was looking for! and something NOT American! The weather up in Yorkshire is not great in winter and I will be lucky if my green house survives the high winds...however, here I go again into winter with a positive attitude! fingers crossed. Thanks for the vid, had everthing I needed :)
You should consider geodesic shaped greenhouse or arched bow shaped. grow vertical containers for maximum use of space. mine also has worm compost in each 5 gallon buckets using water bottles with holes. 5 gallon buckets stacked up are durable and eliminates building shelves.
We're jealous of you guys because you can invite hedgehogs into your gardens to help cut down on slugs. We don't have hedgies here. Only possums and they just want to chill, not do any work!
C OS Oi! I’m American living in Lancashire just across the border from you....I appreciate both the U.K. and USA videos...seems a bit rude for you to condemn some videos because of geography and frankly some things can be missed when cut short...for instance, your upbringing?
Bubble wrap!! Never thought to use it in the garden, thank you for your tips because we do not have a green house etc so using bubble wrap will enable us to have some greens during the winter.green fingers crossed for luck.
You can also use used leaves bags that's laying around, on top of plants and cardboard boxes, just anchore it. or used bags as inner cover of a low tunnel.
Just set out pots of radishes to test compost mixes for container soil. 8b here, and we just had a frost so I thought I'd run a trial with some seed I had lying around while we have a mild spell. No raised beds or in ground, but I'm hoping I can still try growing a good bit without overspeding.
Generally most sowing is best left until spring has properly arrived, as early sowings can struggle if the temperatures are consistently cold. Good luck with your testing of different compost mixes. Let us know which works best for you.
I'd be glad to. Our winters are usually very mild with short, intermittent frosts at night. We've got two weeks forecast with lows in the 50's and highs in the 60s(F), so even if I don't have a harvest to speak of, as long as I bring them into the garage for freezing nights I should get a good gague on its viability as a potting medium.
GrowVeg thanks, my account seems to be through gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/ is my subscription the same as www.GrowVeg.com and will I still receive the reminder email etc? John
John Lawrenson - Yes, we provide the Garden Planner for Mother Earth News as well, so your account and plans are available whether you login through their site or ours.
With the maunder minimum in full swing now should we be looking at the hardiest crops? The growing seasons are shortening and crops are being hit by early snows and frosts in autumn and late ones in spring. I guess we should invest in some more protective cover.
Yes, generally crop protection such as row covers and polythene tunnels will help to fend off the surprise late frosts while rising temperatures enough to extend the growing season be a few weeks. Hardy varieties are always a good choice if you anticipate cooler winters. Even if the winter isn't that cold in the end, the crop will still grow strongly.
I notice a few little bites out of yout radishes. I have them too and have tried to find out what they could be. I certainly have plenty slugs around and I have read it could be woodlice too, or even mice - yikes! Do you know what is eating at your's? And are they still ok to eat if cleaned up? Great videos by the way. I only stated gardening in May but totally hooked.
I think those bites were likely slugs. And they can get attacked by flea beetles too. For such an easy to grow vegetable, they can be quite delicate sometimes!
Your voice tells me that you are in the Uk, and most likely at LEAST a zone 7 or 8 and I am in the USA in zone 6a. I have a greenhouse, BUT, I will need to add some heat to start plants even in March. I do wonder that IF I keep a small mini greenhouse at a minimum of 39F, could I start some of the cool weather plants that you have shown here? My GH will be warm most of the time, BUT, may get down to 39F on the coldest nights. I have had a zone 7 winter so far, BUT, it COULD change. BUT, our last frost date is about a week after Mothers Day or May 17th ish. Lasy years we had our last frost MUCH sooner, BUT, you still must wait since you never know when it MAY be a later frost or earlier frost, sorry, I see this video is about 5 years old.
How long does the food typically last? If I made a lot of it how soon should I be planning on eating it? For the greenhouses, do I cover the food in plastic or fabric all day or just at night?
Pea shoots and salad leaves may be ready within four to eight weeks, depending on how cold it is. Spinach and spring onions maybe a few weeks later, with cabbages maybe taking three or so months from sowing to harvest. Cold protection is recommended in colder climates, but remove them once spring arrives and temperatures are consistently a little warmer.
My early September sown spinach seedlings decided to give up and wilt all of a sudden - possibly over watered in the cloche. I wonder if i can get away with sowing another batch now (1st Oct in South East UK)?
It is touch and go, but with a cloche you may have a chance. Especially given this warm spell we are having. I would say it is worth trying. Good luck!
@@heidimisfeldt5685 I'm in a temperate climate, can grow any autumn vegetables in full sun in winter like peas, capsicum and broccoli even my tomatoes keep going until summer and I get tomatoes early summer and I am still getting strawberries.
Subscribed, I've only recently started to think about a raised bed for vegetables that I can eat all year round, seasonal, thoughts today were mainly on protecting against frost, I'm thinking heating cables? Poly tunnel as well for protection, any recommended vegetables? I want potatoes, carrots, sprouts, cabbage and onion as the minimum and anything else?
A poly tunnel will certainly help to extend your growing season by at least a month at the start and end of the growing season. You can make smaller miniature tunnels to cover raised beds, which are certainly worth the effort. As well as those crops you've listed, I would suggest for the winter also growing leeks, kale and parsnips - which can all be sown now for a crop over the winter months.
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5 veggies
1. Peas
2. Leafy salads
3. Cabbage
4. Spinach
5. Spring onions/scallions
Thank y
Thank you!
Yep just that easy and straight to the point. You can also use heating cable to get even more growing. At 3500' mt town I lived in I was able to heat the ground to 80° 2' down and have topsoil 6" deep at 65°. I used a timer that clicked on after 8pm and clicked off at 6am... I did this in a 5x10 raised bed. Im sure it will work in other situation. Need to find one with a thermostat. I also attached cable to a plastic fence with 4-6" of sand underneath and 2-4" of sand covering the cable. Even heat distribution and will hold the heat much longer. Oh yeah I went out during a -5° cold snap and the soil temperature was 55° at 6"....🤔🙄🤠
Thanks.
We had a garden when i was growing up but this will be the first time i have one by myself, thanks for all the tips!
Glad to have been able to help. Enjoy your garden!
Just looked at your video on sowing vegetables in winter i have a little tip that i do in my polytunnel to bring vegetables on quickly dig a trench place freshly cut grass clippings in trench cover with soil and in a few hours the grass clippings will heat up and also the soil and it will bring on your plants or seed faster than normal I've done this with cucumbers in a tub and have had fantastic results
Thanks very much for the free tip I will try this once the joiner has eventually completed my greenhouse.
I never thought of bubblewrap as a way to keep heat in. Thanks.
yes, thank you for the tip
Awesome, I have not started my seeds but was wondering how to keep them warm enough
The air in the bubble is one of the best insulaters
@Carol Ann when I was little we had a pool that had a cover that floated on the water and it resembled heavy duty bubble wrap. It kept our pool very warm all year. Never thought to use the same concept in my garden but it makes perfect sense LOL
That's given me an idea for covering a mini hoop house!🤔
I live in Northern California in the heart of the Redwood forest and can grow a garden 365 days a year. I have greenhouses that I have bush snow peas, lettuce, cauliflower, broccoli, beets and radishes growing. My tomatoes are still producing. I put in 7 rows of garlic and in early February will be planting onions. I feel lucky to have the ideal conditions to grow so many healthy veggies. Next I will be planting spinach and cilantro. I believe, no matter where you live, you can grow food. It just takes some imagination and covering plants properly. Thanks for posting a great video on winter gardening. Happy Gardening Everyone!
That's awesome
how about those sticky skunk trees ? haha
do u have to cover underneath aswel cause i have cheap greenhouses and they only save me like 1 degree at night lol, it kinda seems like it should be freezing in there cause its getting down to like 1 degree above freezing every night lol but i have tropical fruit seedlings like jakfruit and most of them are still alive so whts the deal there? the figs and mulberrys dropped there leaves.. actually to be honest the most tropical plants i have seem to have the hardiest leaves lol its just they dont go dormant they just die
I have a green house on south end of my house works perfectly generating enough heat to heat our house during sunny days
I put in leeks and also onions which will be ready in Spring. Also you can leave potatoes in ground over winter and pick as needed. Chard and mustard leaves are other good veg leaves to try as well as raddish
During the winter I use a composting enclosure to Hot Compost in my Poly Tunnel, the surface temperature can exceed 20 Deg C and and I can place pots and trays on the surface of the compostr
That's brilliant - you've created your own hot bed for getting an early start to the growing season.
Most years Spinach will over winter here in Indiana. 20 inches of snow on top of it this year and it is doing fine.
Great video. For anyone interested, I have 2- 4'x8' raised garden beds. They have risers on each corner, made from ripped decking to make a corner, framed in on the top. I do this to have something to tie a tomato trellises to, and to hang fencing on to keep out the deer and other animals. But, the really cool thing is, for late fall or late winter, they are easily converted to greenhouses by just adding plastic. If you're crafty, the sky is the limit, just add imagination. The only draw back is, the cost of soil when you first build them. You could think ahead of time and start composting so you'll have soil for them.
Hi Barry. That's a great idea. Having that versatility is really handy - and the benefit of having that extra cold protection really means you'll be able to get well ahead. The raised beds will also give better drainage, which means the soil can warm up quicker in spring, particularly if it's got a clear cover over it as you suggest.
GrowVeg
Hi. I was reading your reply and thought, "this guy really knows a thing or two about gardening". Then I looked at who you were, lol. Well of course you know a thing or two.
It means a lot to have someone with your knowledge, to like my idea. My raised beds really solve a lot of problems for me, with a lot of advantages. Some advantages are the garden is always small and manageable, it lets me practice square foot gardening and succession gardening, as well as different permacuture/companion planting combinations, it also makes irrigation much more compact and manageable. It just seems everything is easier and simpler. The only drawback I found was, well, they cost money, lol. They were worth every penny.
Barry Jordan Thanks for your comment Barry! Sounds like you have a great setup there. One other benefit that is seldom mentioned for raised beds is that they stop the soil getting compacted. Vegetables grow so much better when the soil isn't walked on as the aeration and drainage are considerably improved. As you say, raised beds cost a lot to make but they pay back plenty over the years.
I do the same, with wire hoops and netting for insects, then just add the fleece for cold when needed. Easy on and off. Of course your decking gives consistent height across the beds even on edges, where mine is curved downward.
Thank you for the video. I have never tasted pea shoots but since I have a couple of packets of pea seeds , then I will give them a go. I grow salad leaves all through the winter in hanging baskets in my greenhouse. The hanging baskets keep the salad leaves off the cold soil and make it very hard for slugs to reach them. Microgreens are another good source of fresh produce during the winter and can be grown on indoor window sills. Eibhlin
Growing salad leaves in hanging baskets is a great idea.
Eibhlin7
Great idea, slugs are a menace.
Wow just learning of this winter gardening
I was amazed at the lettuces that reseeded themselves this winter, sprouting up in the isles in January! Most did not last through periods of hard freezes over several nights, but I have arugula in a pathway that has gone to seed already!
Just finished my third year garden plan using the planner - love the companion planting and crop rotation indicators as we move forward. People assume I have been gardening for years - thanks for making me look good! 🤗🍆🥔🥕🌽🌶🥒🍅🍓
Glad you're getting such good use out of the Garden Planner. The extra features do help a lot - but I'm sure you're gardening skills are also behind your success!
The Planner makes it look like I have been gardening for years - but this is only my 3rd year! All done with the planner 😀 if I had "fit to window" option it would be perfect!
You guys contacted me last year wanting to profile my plan and show photos, etc. We were selling a home and it was chaos. Perhaps it will be less crazy this year and I can better document. Enjoyed pickles and tomato soup this weekend we canned last July!
I have 4x8 raised beds. I use hog wire to make covers and can use plastic, row covers or netting depending on the need.
Oh, so great! I'm in Massachusetts. We still have lots of cold and snow ahead, but this give me hope that I don't have to wait until May to start planting!!
Cheryl G did you have any success with this? I too live in Massachusetts and as a first time gardener, I feel so impatient to try growing my own food. I bought so many seeds.
6.07 talking nicely to the neighbourhood cat really worked magic for me.
Glad it worked a treat! :-)
I live in Zone 6 and this was a great help. Thx
Thanks for giving us the US and Australian measurements and weather temperatures.
Thank you for this video. I've just built my first cold-frame and wondering what to try in it first.
The nice thing about growing veggies in cool weather is the absence of slugs and snails. Or, at least less of them. Thanks for the tips.
Plan to put my fruiting tomatoes and other veggies growing under grow light into the ground after the last frost. I've been growing indoor this will be the first time I've had property to grow outdoors on besides a patio! Hyped
Great stuff - enjoy every moment of it!
looking forward to trying the garden planner
Thanks for yet another very useful video. I am having great success with raves, sown directly onto soil on a raised veg table, and covered with horticultural fleece. The same methods has allowed me to have late planted carrots and have been growing all winter long; now the leaves are about 10-15 cm tall already!
Early potatoes. I've seen plenty of examples of early potatoes started in containers end of February, and harvested anywhere from 60-110 days later, or may 1 through mid June
My first comment hadn't mentioned that I want to start my early crops in my greenhouse BUT inside a small greenhouse/shelter INSIDE my BIG greenhouse, NOT, in the ground. I can keep THAT at a low of 39F. I use incandescent Christmas lights to add heat, they go off when it reaches about 49F. I have a pipe heater plug in device that comes on when it gets about 38F. I also have a "thermocube" that comes on when it goes down to 35F and most likely will turn off once it gets a bit warmer than 35F.
Thanks for the great information! I'm in Pennsylvania, zone 5. I start a lot of veg indoors. I had no idea peas germinate at such a low temperature. I'll definitely be starting the peas and cabbage early. I planted lettuce on my window sill in November! Yum.
+primrozie I live in WV and I planted peas in late fall and they are still alive and blooming even after the freezes we have had.,
Wow! I can't wait to plant :)
I’m in 6a in Pa, can wait to get my hands covered in dirt. But, I am concerned with the weather Manipulation for this coming growing season
@@gretchendavis8974 Things sure are different now!
Thank you. I live in southern coastal Australia. No Frost's but we basically get 6 months of winter, the sudden hot summer for 6 months and hardly any spring or autumn. So you need to plan planting time very carefully to ensure some veggies don't bolt to seed if you plant them too late eg start of summer, when they look like they are doing well, but stuff like silver beet, lettuce etc quickly goes to seed before you get to pick any to eat. So, finding some clever way to germinate seeds in late winter can avoid this problem. And your techniques help. But there also a few I decided which work if you do not have a cold frame and such useful things. Eg I used a few tricks I devised, involving normal household things, like aluminium foil, empty glass or plastic bottles, old electric blankets which still work etc. Use your imagination and ingenuity. I like to plant crops of broad beans in winter, ready for early summer harvesting, mainly because I am country raised and expect to be able to just go out and pick straight from nature whatever I want to eat, instead of enduring the yuk of "shopping", people, supermarkets, checkouts etc and now, worse still in Australia, no plastic bags to carry your shopping, no service, just automated checkouts. One of the things I like to walk around to just pick and eat are raw broadbeans, ripening nice and tender and juicy, in early summer, if planted in mid Winter. Just ensure there is enough sunlight where you plant them. No cold frames or special insulation required. Straight into the ground, unless it is frozen. Germination is aided by soaking seeds overnight in like warm water before planting ie similar to the principle that applies to growing many Australian bush native plants, many of who need to be soaked in boiling water a while to enable them to germinate. This is to replicate their conditions growing wild in the bush, where they need bushfires to burn through the ground so they can then germinate or they need the heat. It's great knowing some of these clever horticultural tricks.
Hi Annemarie. Many thanks indeed for sharing your experiences, it's really interesting to read of other gardener's experiences and tips like this.
Great video. I live in a cooler climate most of the year round, this has been helpful. Thank you.
I have a greenhouse made from a single car garage. Have been growing radish, peas, lettuce, carrots, spinach, green onions, cilantro, broccoli, celery, and herbs. Wonderful flavor, no pesticides, just home grown goodness! We just received 33” of snow this week and greenhouse has a small heater and I use Temp Stick to monitor inside temperature. This spring will use a small AC unit to cool down the GH because it can be very warm inside. Zone 7, mountains of AZ.
Sounds like you have a superb system there Geri!
@@GrowVeg this is the first winter that I’ve had this greenhouse. In the past fought critters and snow. Am experimenting as well...who’d a thunk green brans would grow in the winter? I also am growing a dwarf improved meyer lemon tree, and the UofA cooperative extension did advise it would grow here but to keep it in the greenhouse. Am also growing a dwarf clementine mandarine tree...fingers crossed..never grew one before! I follow your videos in The Old Farmers Almanac as well...you the guru of planting!
Mustard and cilantro will go to flower very quickly with warm weather when planted in the spring.
I prefer to plant these in the late summer/early fall (zone 6).
Great video, and I'll share some of my early successes. I sow Sobi (Chinese cabbage), mesclun and perpetual spinach in my polytunnel late autumn and have a crop all year round. I have parsnips in the ground that I'm still digging. The best crop though is Welsh bunching onions - a form of spring onion. I don't have to do anything with them except eat them. I often cut off just above the root, and they'll regrow. I also let several go to seed and they replant themselves. I already have some ready to eat now.
A lot of vegetables sown in the autumn will sit quietly through winter then re-grow as soon as the weather warms up in early spring. Perpetual spinach is incredibly generous - lots of leaves over a very long time. Kale is also great for early spring leaves.
Thank you very interesting. I get my first allotment on 1 .10.2017 .Feel inspired to get planting
Wow! Congratulations on getting your first allotment. Take it one bit at a time and make sure you enjoy (almost!) every moment.
I like all your ideas. I've had success planting turnips, and brussels sprouts in October, and ate plenty into June the next year.
I started an indoor garden. Some greens like Longevity spinach (Gynura Procumbens) And Okinawan spinach. They grow best indoors actually. The propagate easily. I will try some of your recommendations indoors such as the Asian greens, carrots and pea shoots. Thank you as always great video.
Thanks for explaining sir.
Thankyou for video. I've been getting the winter time blues
Fantastic. Thanks for this. I live in the U.S., Pacific Northwest and our weather is a lot more like the UK than anywhere else in the States. I have a few PNW gardeners that I follow, but finding some from elsewhere that has similar weather is fantastic. Also, slugs are the bane of everything. ;)
+Kit DuBhran Slugs - tell me about it! Glad you've found out channel. One of our team used to work in Portland, OR for a little while and it's amazing how similar the plants and growing conditions are to the UK.
i have heard slugs hate coffee grounds but it isnt something i have tested i live in OR i have had the same parsley plant for about three years in my garden so thats an option if you dont have some already also the type of green onions from winco can be grown again just cut the bottom part of the bulb and put it in loose soil and eat the tops
We're also in the PNW, about an hour north - I've been following with GrowVeg & sure like that UK has similar wx and issues as here in PNW. We have tough issues from gnats, slugs and low light issues.
Kit DuBhran I use a hand spreader to broadcast Epsom salt on the soil surface, works for grubs under the soil when it dissolves also and fertilizes the plants.
Egg shells. Bye bye slugs
Great Tips
Thank you I never knew about horticulture fleece
Big like stay blessed and connected
Great video, thanks.
Dammit, I'm ready to take a jackhammer to my frozen soil, throw some seeds in there, and then sit outside glaring at the ground willing it to grow. Or I could have another beer and chill out for a month or two. I could go either way at this point.
I think if you're ground's rock solid a chilled beer or two may be the better option for now!
GrowVeg Heh. Maybe if I just crank up the heat high enough, the soil right beside the house will thaw enough to plant some peas or something...Okay, I need an intervention.
Move to Florida or Hawaii.
LoL!
Nah, I enjoy the changing seasons, even the first half of winter...it just starts to get old maybe from mid-January to late February, but then it just makes spring that much more appreciated. Maybe some mid-point like Virginia or North Carolina, where you still get 4 seasons, but the winters aren't quite as long...maybe.
Great info...lot of tips I can use. Thx!
Great video and timely info, to get gardeners excited! The feature you mentioned of the garden planner software that automatically adjusts the planting dates based on the type of winter protection one puts over the beds is a great one! Will be very handy!
Bask Alur Thanks, glad you found the video useful for your garden.
Thank you, I didn't pick up on that. Very sophisticated garden software! And it has square foot gardening built in too! Impressive.
Great vid, as usual. Practical and inspirational, a rare combo. Sad to say, we live in a condo so cannot have any sort of row cover outside. BUT, I grow small takeout-trays of pea and radish microgreens under the grow-lights we use to start early spring lettuce, kale, and spinach. I'm also going to try starting several plugs of peas inside during late February to get a month's jump.
That's great to hear Leo. Microgreens are so satisfying to grow, and one of the most nutrient-dense things you can eat, so you're doing well to grow them.
@@GrowVeg We feast on microgreens all year long. Winters under a grow light. After the Great Lakes deep freeze is over (in the Midwestern USA), I'll move them outside.
I grow my pea shoots outside: no fleece, no lamps, no frames, no additional spend. Only think it to place them out of rech of small mammals and gastropods.
Rodents hate mint. So you can place a few drops of peppermint essential oil, from the health food store, in a spray bottle from the dollar store, and fill with water. Shake, and spray the area where you do not want them digging. Done.
Thanks so much for the tips. They are great ideas.
if you have high winds - you should consider in the future to change greenhouse shape as geodesic it can be dome shaped also extended. grow vertical garden for maximum use of space
brilliant idea! thank you
Thank you
Fantastic video
Who’s ready for the 2021 season 😎
Definitely!
I have not seen you mention peppers of any kind on any of your videos. I have had great success growing green and chili peppers in containers on my small patio. I live in Las Vegas and have unique weather challenges. Even with these challenging conditions I have had a green pepper and a banana pepper plant growing for two years now. I have a large amount of each growing on the plants. My patio is small at 6x10 but grows a large amount of herbs and peppers. Plenty enough to share.
+Joline D We have nothing against peppers! We will certainly bear them in mind for when a suitable video topic comes up. Your peppers sound like they're really thriving in the hot Las Vegan climate. I struggle with peppers in my British climate!
GrowVeg I live in Minnesota and the smaller mini sweet peppers seem to be cold hardy. I gather my seeds from the store bought peppers, very common here not sure about there.
Your scallions look amazing! 😮m
Thanks I'm from Canada great info.
Thank you for all the great information. I have a cold frame that I haven't yet used like this looking forward to some early salad lettuce and green onions.
THANKS , GROWVEG ......
This is a very nice video I love it!
Just sowing my brassicas today but it's cold in Scotland.
Thanks
I grew spinach in July, an the remaining are still green outside by cold weather while many species have lost their leaves
Very Nice ~ Thank You! 🌱
Mizuna grows well, it is like a weed. Not that tastiest though but it is nice to have it as backup in case other stuff doesn't do well.
Grow a mix of greens, with only 1-2 mizunas to supplement. If it's not the main lettuce in the salad, mizuna and arugula become accents rather than the main ingredient. The last time I grew arugula, one plant provided all I could eat mixed in with other lettuces. Not a big family though. Just a thought. Good luck!
Thanks for the video! Cheers!
your garden looks very nice!
This dude doesn't appear to have aged a bit! He does have a much brighter and pleasant approach to the newer videos however. (Had to figure out what the heck I can get outside here in the winter still).
Thanks very much - you can come again! :-)
Our winter lasts from november till april, and we usually have 4-5 feet of Snow. ........ difficult to grow anything in the ground outdoors then. But a polytunnel will do the trick. ......
A polytunnel or greenhouse would definitely help in those sorts of conditions. The difference it makes to your growing season is immense!
Bloody good video. Loads of info, quick pace and easy to follow.
I'm going to try using a large clear plastic bag, cut allong two sides, to make the plastic cover of a polytunnel.
Just what I was looking for! and something NOT American! The weather up in Yorkshire is not great in winter and I will be lucky if my green house survives the high winds...however, here I go again into winter with a positive attitude! fingers crossed. Thanks for the vid, had everthing I needed :)
+Catherine O'Sullivan You're very welcome. Here's hoping for a not too windy winter for you!
You should consider geodesic shaped greenhouse or arched bow shaped. grow vertical containers for maximum use of space. mine also has worm compost in each 5 gallon buckets using water bottles with holes. 5 gallon buckets stacked up are durable and eliminates building shelves.
Yes but the american vids go on for about an hr until they eventually get to the point. Sorry :)
We're jealous of you guys because you can invite hedgehogs into your gardens to help cut down on slugs. We don't have hedgies here. Only possums and they just want to chill, not do any work!
C OS Oi! I’m American living in Lancashire just across the border from you....I appreciate both the U.K. and USA videos...seems a bit rude for you to condemn some videos because of geography and frankly some things can be missed when cut short...for instance, your upbringing?
If you don't have containers you can use chicken wire below the surface to deter mice. Thank for the viddy!
That's a great idea - thanks for the tip.
Great video🌻 Thanks for sharing!!
4 degrees Celsius is mid summer for me. Lol great video though. Thank you
Fantastic video. I learned so much about which plants to start while there's still frost. Thank you! :-)
Thanks!
Thank you for this great video!
Love the accent my friend
Very Good!!! from Pakistan.
Grate soap and lay it on the soil around your crop it keeps snails slugs away
Bubble wrap!! Never thought to use it in the garden, thank you for your tips because we do not have a green house etc so using bubble wrap will enable us to have some greens during the winter.green fingers crossed for luck.
You can also use used leaves bags that's laying around, on top of plants and cardboard boxes, just anchore it. or used bags as inner cover of a low tunnel.
Just set out pots of radishes to test compost mixes for container soil. 8b here, and we just had a frost so I thought I'd run a trial with some seed I had lying around while we have a mild spell. No raised beds or in ground, but I'm hoping I can still try growing a good bit without overspeding.
Generally most sowing is best left until spring has properly arrived, as early sowings can struggle if the temperatures are consistently cold. Good luck with your testing of different compost mixes. Let us know which works best for you.
I'd be glad to. Our winters are usually very mild with short, intermittent frosts at night. We've got two weeks forecast with lows in the 50's and highs in the 60s(F), so even if I don't have a harvest to speak of, as long as I bring them into the garage for freezing nights I should get a good gague on its viability as a potting medium.
thanks,
micro greens, no soil coconut fiber, low light great nutrition, veg.s year long
Great video
Thanks Bobby. :-)
Brilliant video thank you
Thanks! You know everything!
So refreshing, informative, practical without beating about the bush. Where would I find your Garden planner and Plant list?
Hi John, thanks for your feedback. Our online Garden Planner is available from www.GrowVeg.com
GrowVeg thanks, my account seems to be through gardenplanner.motherearthnews.com/ is my subscription the same as www.GrowVeg.com and will I still receive the reminder email etc? John
John Lawrenson - Yes, we provide the Garden Planner for Mother Earth News as well, so your account and plans are available whether you login through their site or ours.
With the maunder minimum in full swing now should we be looking at the hardiest crops? The growing seasons are shortening and crops are being hit by early snows and frosts in autumn and late ones in spring. I guess we should invest in some more protective cover.
Yes, generally crop protection such as row covers and polythene tunnels will help to fend off the surprise late frosts while rising temperatures enough to extend the growing season be a few weeks. Hardy varieties are always a good choice if you anticipate cooler winters. Even if the winter isn't that cold in the end, the crop will still grow strongly.
Eddie Minimum is the current grand solar minimum.
Spinach, Spring Onion and Peas for me :-)
great video
I notice a few little bites out of yout radishes. I have them too and have tried to find out what they could be. I certainly have plenty slugs around and I have read it could be woodlice too, or even mice - yikes! Do you know what is eating at your's? And are they still ok to eat if cleaned up? Great videos by the way. I only stated gardening in May but totally hooked.
I think those bites were likely slugs. And they can get attacked by flea beetles too. For such an easy to grow vegetable, they can be quite delicate sometimes!
Thanks for the reply. I'm trying some more radishes in a tub and hoping that reduces the chance of slugs. Everything is an experiment at the moment!
OK I admit, I'm spoiled... my temps are at worst 40F... I guess I can plant at any time, can't I? Didn't know that.
If you don't get frosts then what you can grow opens up enormously. I'm very envious!
Your voice tells me that you are in the Uk, and most likely at LEAST a zone 7 or 8 and I am in the USA in zone 6a. I have a greenhouse, BUT, I will need to add some heat to start plants even in March. I do wonder that IF I keep a small mini greenhouse at a minimum of 39F, could I start some of the cool weather plants that you have shown here? My GH will be warm most of the time, BUT, may get down to 39F on the coldest nights. I have had a zone 7 winter so far, BUT, it COULD change. BUT, our last frost date is about a week after Mothers Day or May 17th ish. Lasy years we had our last frost MUCH sooner, BUT, you still must wait since you never know when it MAY be a later frost or earlier frost, sorry, I see this video is about 5 years old.
Hi Julie. Yes, that should work fine. You'll find the inside of the greenhouse warms up dramatically on sunny days, really bringing seedlings along.
How long does the food typically last? If I made a lot of it how soon should I be planning on eating it?
For the greenhouses, do I cover the food in plastic or fabric all day or just at night?
Pea shoots and salad leaves may be ready within four to eight weeks, depending on how cold it is. Spinach and spring onions maybe a few weeks later, with cabbages maybe taking three or so months from sowing to harvest. Cold protection is recommended in colder climates, but remove them once spring arrives and temperatures are consistently a little warmer.
Great videos! Was wondering if your computer garden program is available for purchase?
Hi Jacqueline. The Garden Planner is a subscription-only service. You can read more about it here: www.growveg.com/garden-planner-intro.aspx
5 Super-Early Vegetables to Start in Winter
My early September sown spinach seedlings decided to give up and wilt all of a sudden - possibly over watered in the cloche. I wonder if i can get away with sowing another batch now (1st Oct in South East UK)?
It is touch and go, but with a cloche you may have a chance. Especially given this warm spell we are having. I would say it is worth trying. Good luck!
spring onions are such slow growing where I am "temperate zone in Australia" I am successfully growing purple cauliflower
Try growing them in the shade, just like lettuce and potatos. These plants do fine in the shade, in a hot climate.
@@heidimisfeldt5685 I'm in a temperate climate, can grow any autumn vegetables in full sun in winter like peas, capsicum and broccoli even my tomatoes keep going until summer and I get tomatoes early summer and I am still getting strawberries.
Great video - what mount would you start these ? Thank you x
In the UK I would be starting these around late January to early March.
Since i have a little patio, my gardening is all in pots. I'd love to know what i can start early and plant out into pots ?
I would go for salad leaf mixes, salad carrots, radishes, and pea shoots as early crops for pots.
February 18th in Klamath Falls Oregon and i've got turnips coming up in the green house.
+Pamela Lehto Good job!
+GowVeg What month can you start growing route vegetables? My mum was wondering if she could start anytime soon?
Oz w weep woop rip top 32t race
Subscribed, I've only recently started to think about a raised bed for vegetables that I can eat all year round, seasonal, thoughts today were mainly on protecting against frost, I'm thinking heating cables? Poly tunnel as well for protection, any recommended vegetables? I want potatoes, carrots, sprouts, cabbage and onion as the minimum and anything else?
A poly tunnel will certainly help to extend your growing season by at least a month at the start and end of the growing season. You can make smaller miniature tunnels to cover raised beds, which are certainly worth the effort.
As well as those crops you've listed, I would suggest for the winter also growing leeks, kale and parsnips - which can all be sown now for a crop over the winter months.
Do 'Grow Lights' emit a special kind of light, or can you just use regular light bulbs?
They emit a natural spectrum of daylight, which plants need. Regular bulbs wouldn't give the full spectrum, so aren't ideal for plants.
@@GrowVeg Thanks Ben 👍