The October 25th pot luck and work party signals
the official end of the summer growing season for the Hazel Heights p-patch.
But the growing season doesn’t have to end if you don’t want
it to. With our temperate Pacific
Northwest climate, we can plant February through November and harvest year
round.
Here are some things to consider if you are interested in
overwintering.
What to Plant
- Root crops, brassicas (broccoli, kale, cabbage),
salad crops and peas. Can be enjoyed up to the first frost of November or
longer if the winter is mild.
- Hardier crops like fava beans, garlic, purple
sprouting broccoli, and hardy greens like kale, collards and Brussels sprouts will
keep growing through a wet winter.
- And don’t forget, the Giving Garden harvests all
year round as fresh vegetables are needed no matter the season. With fewer
gardeners growing duing the colder months, overwintering has an even bigger
impact for the Giving Garden.
How to Prep
- Loosen the soil where other plants have been
harvested, use compost to mulch around the new plants when you set them out
- Too much nitrogen in the soil increases the
water in the soil and plans for faster growth but makes plants more susceptible
to frost damage.
- Use no fertilizer at all September through
February. Come spring, you can top-dress the soil around your overwintered
plants with a high-nitrogen organic fertilizer or composted manure to spur
faster spring growth.
Plan ahead for the Spring
- What you do with your garden in the fall can
make a difference to your spring planting.
- Plants pull different types of nutrients from
the ground so consider where your vegetables were planted in the fall and plan
to change locations.
- Different plants breed or are susceptible to
different types of pests, take inventory of your soil and plantings to ensure
you aren’t hosting a breeding ground for pests.
