Fall and winter vegetables- sowing time?

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Finchj, Sep 23, 2011.

  1. Finchj

    Finchj Junior Member

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    Hello all:

    We just received the Snowdown fall/winter vegetable collection from Horizon Herbs. I don't particularly like buying seed and having it shipped across the country, but I've had trouble finding a good local source of heirloom seeds. Anyway, here is a list of the veges:

    • Touchstone Gold Beets
    • Green Sprouting Broccoli
    • Chirimen Hakusai Cabbage
    • Scarlet Nantes Carrots
    • Champion Collard Greens
    • Creasy Greens (Winter Cress)
    • Vates Blue Curled Kale
    • Winter Spinach
    • Bandit Leeks
    • Winter Density Lettuce
    • Mammoth Melting Snow Peas
    • Miyashege White Daikon Radish

    We are in 1990 USDA zone 7a. Our state put out a fall planting guide back in 99/00 and for our area stated that the first killing frost occurs on/near the 24th of October. This same guide suggests planting for fall as early as July and no later than August. In July it regularly reaches 100 F (37.7 C), so I don't really know how they get by suggesting we plant winter crops then! I understand the end of August though, but our August was running a little warmer than usual with temps hitting 90 F (32.2 C) regularly.

    So it is now the end of September and we are planting out a handful of each just in case. Obviously, no one can predict whether or not our plants will survive let alone do well enough to harvest anything. But the seed packets themselves say they can be planted in September and even into October. Horizon Herbs is in zone 8, which I presume those instructions are for.

    I know we are pushing it, but if you have any experience extending the growing season with mulch/stones/etc I would be happy to hear about it.

    Thanks!

    Edit: this might be of some help. Yes, it is just one year's data, but it didn't freeze at all last October.
     
  2. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    we rarely get summer temps above 30degrees or so, and winter can get to minus 10 C on a bad year.
    This is all personal stuff that I do in my garden...
    Beetroot I can plant almost anytime, except the height of Summer, and the dead of winter, anytime except february, July and August.
    Broccoli and other brassicas I put in in the third month of Summer, to get a bit of growth before the frost.
    Carrots I can literally plant all year, but I tend to plant in the first month of Autumn to get them going before the real cold stuff.If I don't, they still grow, but take too long to reach their full size, if ever.
    Leeks I've planted now, so that is the first month of Spring, to get a bit of size. After a few frosts next year, they'll be lovely and sweet.
    Lettuce the same as leeks, but they bolt to seed as soon as an unusual hot spell comes. It's a bit hit and miss with them.Snow peas, all peas, and daikon I put in now as well, so first month of Spring.

    In the third month of Spring, it all goes up a notch, with melons cucumbers, tomatoes, corn, all that family of frost haters.
    Fava beans and garlic go in the end of Summer, which is also when I replant and divide the strawberries.
    Hope this helps.
     
  3. Finchj

    Finchj Junior Member

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    Thank you for your response palerider. The cultivation instructions for leeks said to mound them as they grow during the season. Do you do this? What is it meant to accomplish? I've never even eaten a leek before, so we're looking forward to growing some.
     
  4. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Mounding is designed to make the stems white. If you can eat green leeks there's no need to do it. Same for celery.
     
  5. Finchj

    Finchj Junior Member

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    Huh, I had no idea! The only thing that changes is the color then?
     
  6. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Yes. The other way to achieve the same result is to use a plastic tube placed over the plant so the leaves stick out the top, but the stem is in shade. But personally I think it is like putting lipstick on lettuce. Completely unnecessary!
     
  7. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    My thoughts exactly eco. The celery as well, it just tastes a bit stronger, but i want that, better for salads soup etc.
    And having to get the lipstick off every evening with cold cream is just annoying :p:rofl:
    It's done with asparagus as well. Just wierd really.
    There is a link to growing in your climate Finchj. I'll try to post it here, but remember you just move it ahead six months for the northern hemisphere.
    https://slaati.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Armidale-Vegetable-Sowing-Guide.pdf
     
  8. Dzionik

    Dzionik Junior Member

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    Another thing you can do is cut two-thirds of the leaves. It will encourage further growth in the thickness and height. Of course trimmings can be used for cooking, pies, fried with eggs, etc. :) You can cut them several times when you need it, practically the whole year.
     
  9. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Now that's a good tip. I have a sad clump of celery that looks more like parsley. Will it work for celery?
     
  10. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    Celery round here lasts about 4 years, but eventually it gets very stringy. I use it for soups and stuff, but i eventually replace it.
     
  11. pippimac

    pippimac Junior Member

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    My climate's completely different; with the odd heavy winter frost...
    Just a note for celery-lovers in spots inappropriate for growing 'normal' celery: try 'cutting celery' aka 'Chinese celery'. Spindly and potent, it's not designed for salads, but it's basically perennial, handles the dry, not diseasy, seeds like mad.
     
  12. Dzionik

    Dzionik Junior Member

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    I do not see why not, pick the outer leaves from stem, do not trim the entire plant. Some as parsley, Swiss chard, yang onion etc, didnt you know that?
    I guess we are more rural society. :)
     
  13. pippimac

    pippimac Junior Member

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    Dzionik, standard celery, being a bog plant, absolutely hates my dry, sandy soil.
    There's no way of harvesting it that would make it a worthwhile plant in my garden.
    If you can grow it, great, I can't, but cutting celery grows for me and I thought it worth passing on.
     
  14. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    Now don't get exasperated..., but couldn't you mulch it to make it okay.?
    I've just never heard of celery being a difficult plant. It's completely frost hardy. Does it really hate sandy soil?. I didn't know that, I 'spose that's why i'm here, to learn new things.
     
  15. pippimac

    pippimac Junior Member

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    Sorry, I was a bit exasperated and I shouldn't have hijacked finchi's thread with my celery anyway!
    It will thrive in the cold, I now realise my previous post's confusing on that. It's the dry that makes it miserarable. Of course, I could create the conditions it likes, but I'd rather grow plants that want to grow here.
     
  16. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    It's like cauliflower doesn't like it here I 'spose. All the other brassicas are fine, caulis are just a pain.
     
  17. mischief

    mischief Senior Member

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    On Leeks,
    When I have grown these, I leave the seedlings in their punnet til they are at least 6-8 inches high then soak them in water and shake out the soil, trim the roots then quickly put them in a container of composty water.

    To plant out I take a strong stick and make a hole not quite as deep as the length of the seedling,maybe an inch in diametre and try to make the sides of the hole as firm as I can so the soil doesnt fall into the hole.
    Then I drop the leek into the hole and pour Alittle of the composty water in.

    When they grow up and out of the hole they have all that length white.
    Sometimes there is alittle dirt in between the leaves but not usually very much.

    Cos the leaves grow out to each side rather than all around the stem, I try to get them placed so the leaves of each plant go the same way,either cross-wise or diagonal.
    That way they arent bumping into each other when they get bigger.

    The biggest ones I ever grew, were fed alot of blood and bone as a side dressing which says they are hungry plants.
    Not too sure now that that is a particularly permie thing though especially if you are trying to get away from bought additives of any kind, so this year they will be getting liquid manure tea instead.
     
  18. Finchj

    Finchj Junior Member

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    Oh no, talk about whatever you like as long as its a fall/winter/earlyspring/cold vegetable :) I'm learning a lot!

    (Should have planted my celery seeds!)
     
  19. palerider

    palerider Junior Member

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    well, it's sort of early spring here. Just planted the potatoes for this year. Swore i wouldn't plant any more, as they always come up all over the place, but I had some nice Nicolas which went to sprout.
    When they come up in a few weeks, I'll just start the piling up of grass clippings and compost.
    I'm actually helping some new people in town to get a garden going. They know NOTHING about growing. It's so good to learn again by teaching.
    The kids can't believe you just put seeds in and water, and they grow. We're doing no dig taters tomorrow.
    Oh, and thanks for the leek info. I've never grown leeks successfully, so I'll try that.
     
  20. eco4560

    eco4560 New Member

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    Teaching is a great way to be reminded how much you have learnt since you started.....
     

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