Winter Gardening

When the words "winter gardening" are mentioned, many automatically think of traditional winter crops like kale or maybe Brussels Sprouts. However, what I have experimented with in the last two winters was the growing of nontraditional crops like spinach and lettuce. Crops that work best are those that do not require pollination.

This was accomplished in raised beds with special lids that look more like traditional cold frames. The lid boxes sit on top of the raised bed, The lids themselves are wood frames covered by clear corrugated plastic. Clear works better than white plastic because it allows maximum warming inside the bed. However, lids must be propped open during warm periods above freezing to prevent heat damage. The winter of 2006-2007 was a very warm, and the first year I tried winter gardening. I planted spinach the weekend after Thanksgiving (2006) and it sprouted and grew during the relatively mild month of December, part of January, and part of February. This allowed me to start picking by the beginning of April.

This past winter (2007-2008) was a different story.

I planted lettuce, both iceberg and Romaine, in October and November. Most of these survived the frigid weather we experienced and an ice storm, which sent downed branches through many of the plastic lids. I had also planted spinach in October and November, but this took much longer to mature than the previous year. I have learned that it is better to get both spinach and lettuce up and growing before the ground freezes. Broccoli can be started indoors and transplanted in early February.

Plants go dormant when the ground is frozen. In northeastern Kansas, there are always periods during the winter when the snow melts and the ground thaws. At these times, plants grow, as long as they are protected from frost. Frost is the killer, not frozen ground. Clear plastic corrugated lids work better than white ones because the air inside the bed is warmed by trapped sunlight. I lost one bed of spinach that had a white lid after a particularly brutal cold snap. Even short winter day sunlight is enough to keep plants alive during brutal cold.

Now it is May, 2008. I have begun to harvest lettuce (Romaine) and spinach. Broccoli that was transplanted in March is starting to head. Most of the Iceberg lettuce has started heading. The few that didn't have been eaten. This is much later than last year, but the weather continues to be cooler than normal. I guess this is better for the lettuce and spinach anyway. Last year at this time, it was already too hot and the spinach started to bolt. Next winter, I will make sure all the covered beds are up and growing before November. And hopefully, we will not get another ice storm.