Harvesting in the Winter

What if we could harvest the vegetables for our salad, instead of going to the grocery store?! What if we could do it, even in February and March!?

This is what I've been learning about and hoping to implement for next winter. People are doing this, and so can we! Eliot Coleman is an organic vegetable grower in Maine who has written a book and speaks about how we can begin harvesting food in the winter.

1.  To explain simply, the first step is having wonderfully rich soil so that the plants will grow well, using compost. 

2.  Then, plant your vegetables like spinach, onions, carrots, Asian greens, and lettuce in the fall so that they begin to mature. 

3.  Cover with row cover (a thin, white material that allows light and air in) before frost. 

4.  Then, when it is going to be really cold, cover again with tight clear plastic. 

 In Mr. Coleman's book and DVD, he explains in detail how to do each step. The result is, if implemented correctly, we could be eating fresh salads from our own gardens in the winter!

For a brief overview, go to Growing a Greener World website.  Then, for more in-depth learning, there is a book by Eliot Coleman called The Winter Harvest Handbook: Year-Round Vegetable Production Using Deep-Organic Techniques and Unheated Greenhouses. There is also a DVD available (I found it at my local library) called Year-Round Vegetable Production with Eliot Coleman.  

If you already have a cold frame, like me, you could add another layer of plastic and make the planting zone move 1 1/2 zones to the south.  All of my vegetables froze this winter, so next winter, I plan to use Eliot Coleman's methods.  

What about right now?  If you are eager, you could put the row cover in place now, in the spring, and get a jump on planting.  Last year, I covered my broccoli, cabbage, and swiss chard for the first few weeks after planting.  They grew fast and were protected from frost and pests.  Row cover is an easy way to extend the seasons.  I also planted spinach, kale, and lettuce in my cold frame.  As I understand it from Mr. Coleman's book and DVD, cover once in spring and fall.  Then in the winter, cover twice.