Fall Winter Garden - zone 7b

[davaroo]

Im going to piddle with an offseason garden here in South Carolina.
I've never really gone for this sort of thing, but reckon, "Why not?"
Winter temps here rarely go below 20 F, so reckon I can keep something going through the entire winter season.

In choosing plants for this endeavour, I remember Mel Bartholomews advice: "I just memorize the hot-weather plants. The cool weather crops are everything else!"

Mel goes on to say that these are further devided into root, leaf and head types, with a few oddities like peas, kohlrabi and celery thrown in.

So here's what I selected for open sowing:

Cabbage, "Charleston Wakefield"
Collards. "Georgia Southern"
Lettuce, "Red Romaine"
Mustard, "Red Leaf"
Pea, "Oregon Sugar Pod II"
Parsnip, "Harris Model"
Turnip, "Purple Top White"

Im considering kale, too, although, I don't really like the stuff myself.

Brussels Sprouts are also often on the list of back-season crops, so I may do those, too.

I have the skills and tools to build a cold frame, too, and keep some of the more tender lettuces going through the season.
I should build one, regardless. No garden is complete without one, right?

SO what do you all think? Any ideas, or comments?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Personally I would add spinach, chard and a whole lot of Chinese greens. I would also have both purple & white Early Sprouting Broccoli -- this you can happily grow out in the open & it is delicious. If you are going to grow Brussel Sprouts try to get hold of the red variety. OH! & don't forget to put in some Broad Beans in the fall so you get the beans earlier.

I would certainly have a cold frame or better still a poly-tunnel. In fact I am already working on my plans for my winter vegetable plan & working out what I might be able to achieve without spending a fortune. As I'm getting on in years I have to be sensible about just how much I tackle but it amazes me what I manage to achieve. I have a good workshop with a fair amount of power tools I've purchased over the years. Unfortunately all the men in my life were hopeless when it came to practical things so it had to me. Now it stands me in good stead & I enjoy it.

Good Luck with your plans -- Hope it all works out!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[davaroo]

Personally I would add spinach, chard and a whole lot of Chinese greens. I would also have both purple & white Early Sprouting Broccoli -- this you can happily grow out in the open & it is delicious. If you are going to grow Brussel Sprouts try to get hold of the red variety. OH! & don't forget to put in some Broad Beans in the fall so you get the beans earlier.

I would certainly have a cold frame or better still a poly-tunnel. In fact I am already working on my plans for my winter vegetable plan & working out what I might be able to achieve without spending a fortune. As I'm getting on in years I have to be sensible about just how much I tackle but it amazes me what I manage to achieve. I have a good workshop with a fair amount of power tools I've purchased over the years. Unfortunately all the men in my life were hopeless when it came to practical things so it had to me. Now it stands me in good stead & I enjoy it.

Good Luck with your plans -- Hope it all works out!

:rose Hattie :rose

Well thanks, Hattie. Im reading Charles Boff's, "How to Grow and Produce Your own Food" right now and its pretty good. I mention it because it was written in England, way back in 1946. Im thinking that if these things are good for your winters they are likely good for mine.
I like the idea of spinach, purple broccoli and B. Sprouts - color is good. As for beans, well... Im not so much for those. Besides, Im trying to keep this reigned in!
I do think I'll do the broccoli over the kale.

Why not do both a poly tunnel and a sun box? Im up for it!
As always, I enjoy your comments.

 

[davaroo]

I just got some Purple Broccoli, Long Island B. Sprouts and Large Leaf Spinach from Sustainable Seed Company. All heirloom, all open pollinated. Great seed source.

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Make sure it's Early Sprouting Broccoli ; also DO TRY the white version as it tastes quite different & comes at a slightly different point of the new year!

I've read Boff's book years ago -- where on earth did you find it? Gosh! Britain was still under rationing & we had a terrible winter that year with massive power cuts. I remember my father going out in London scavenging for wood to burn, tearing up floor boards etc in bombed buildings to keep us warm. We used to sit in school in our overcoats, gloves & pixie-hats to do our lessons. Ooooh! you have bought so many memories flooding back......!!

:rose Hattie :rose

 

[GrowinVeggiesInSC]

Im going to piddle with an offseason garden here in South Carolina.
I've never really gone for this sort of thing, but reckon, "Why not?"
Winter temps here rarely go below 20 F, so reckon I can keep something going through the entire winter season.

In choosing plants for this endeavour, I remember Mel Bartholomews advice: "I just memorize the hot-weather plants. The cool weather crops are everything else!"

Mel goes on to say that these are further devided into root, leaf and head types, with a few oddities like peas, kohlrabi and celery thrown in.

So here's what I selected for open sowing:

Cabbage, "Charleston Wakefield"
Collards. "Georgia Southern"
Lettuce, "Red Romaine"
Mustard, "Red Leaf"
Pea, "Oregon Sugar Pod II"
Parsnip, "Harris Model"
Turnip, "Purple Top White"

Im considering kale, too, although, I don't really like the stuff myself.

Brussels Sprouts are also often on the list of back-season crops, so I may do those, too.

I have the skills and tools to build a cold frame, too, and keep some of the more tender lettuces going through the season.
I should build one, regardless. No garden is complete without one, right?

SO what do you all think? Any ideas, or comments?

Oooh, neat-o! I'm in SC, too, so I'll be following your progress and maybe even following suit!

 

[gone 2 seed]

thanks for the post. I am in NC and would love to plant a winter garden along with you. I was wishing the other day there was a place on the forum planting by zone. I am pretty new to doing my own garden. My dad always had one but after all these years I can't remember what he planted when.

 

[herbsherbsflowers]

I'm near you in Georgia and I always have cold season gardens. Spinach, lettuce and all the different kinds of greens last through the winter. They slow down some when it gets really cold but start right back up in the spring. I keep mine mulched pretty heavily with leaves. I think it was in a recent Organic Gardening that there was an article about cut and come again lettuce. You use leaf lettuces and just snip the leaves off and they keep making more. Those are really nice because you can pick them when they are young and tender. I don't plant English peas until February or early March. I've never tried to do them in the fall. I'm getting some lovely ones right now. Good luck with your garden.

 

[davaroo]

Make sure it's Early Sprouting Broccoli ; also DO TRY the white version as it tastes quite different & comes at a slightly different point of the new year!

I've read Boff's book years ago -- where on earth did you find it? Gosh! Britain was still under rationing & we had a terrible winter that year with massive power cuts. I remember my father going out in London scavenging for wood to burn, tearing up floor boards etc in bombed buildings to keep us warm. We used to sit in school in our overcoats, gloves & pixie-hats to do our lessons. Ooooh! you have bought so many memories flooding back......!!

:rose Hattie :rose

Well, I just got purple broccoli - early or not, it's going on.

I got Boff's book after a search on the internet. It is pretty beat up after many years, but intact. There was only the one printing, as far as I can tell - what you see is what you get!
Few books are as thorough and cover as much ground in a single volume, in my esteem. I would dearly love to see it reprinted and have made some contact in that regards.

Interestingly, nowhere in the book does he mention rationing or the, then-recently passed, troubles. Here and there he suggests things may be hard to come by, but he never wavers from the positive contention that with a little thought and basic tools you can do nicely. And he never mentions why one might have difficulties procuring things. I suppose what was wanted, most, was someting - anything - that made moving forward encouraging.
In a sense, he takes the reader far backwards, to a time when the bombs had not fallen and fancy chemicals or a legion of implements were not used... or needed.

Chin up and all that, wot?!

 

[davaroo]

Oooh, neat-o! I'm in SC, too, so I'll be following your progress and maybe even following suit!

You're smart - watch and learn. That is a good plan.
We'll make a party of it. I'll bring the homemade bread.

Thanks for the post. I am in NC and would love to plant a winter garden along with you. I was wishing the other day there was a place on the forum planting by zone. I am pretty new to doing my own garden. My dad always had one but after all these years I can't remember what he planted when.

As Im doing this one spadeful at a time, there is no rush. I have put in hot weather plants a plenty around here - melons, tomatoes peppers. But, I've decided to start a sectioned plot in earnest with this winter garden. This gives me time to do it right; every garden is about the planned work done BEFORE any planting is done.

My 12 foot trench on the northside is already in tomatoes (Rutgers) and sunflowers (Skyscraper and BOSS). I'll start working on the other blocks this week. Im double spit turning each and adding leaf mold, composted manure and peat. So if you want to get started now, there's the place to do it - the soil. You don't start planting a fall-winter garden here in Dixie until late July/August, so you have time to get in seed and prepare the soil yet. And as blocks get done before hand, put in tender lettuces, radishes, scallions, etc, for quick harvests before the main crops. Just put them in the sections of the planting blocks away from the main plants. As the main crop plantings get up in size, the little greens and things can be removed.

I'm near you in Georgia and I always have cold season gardens. Spinach, lettuce and all the different kinds of greens last through the winter. They slow down some when it gets really cold but start right back up in the spring. I keep mine mulched pretty heavily with leaves. I think it was in a recent Organic Gardening that there was an article about cut and come again lettuce. You use leaf lettuces and just snip the leaves off and they keep making more. Those are really nice because you can pick them when they are young and tender. I don't plant English peas until February or early March. I've never tried to do them in the fall. I'm getting some lovely ones right now.

I've added some spinach to the Red Leaf Cos and will add some chard to the come again green section. Basically, the whole winter garden is a cut-and-return sort. It really goes contrary to the notion of a "plant and harvest" spring/summer garden. The goal is not to really harvest anything, in toto, but to stretch it out for the pickings as long as possible. Most of the plants are in the mustard family, and so take cold weather well enough. When and if it finally gets too cold, I'll just end it and put everything to sleep for a few months. At least in one block I will make a tunnel frame and keep something going all season.

As for peas, they'll germinate and get a grand start in the late season. You do not want them in too early, though, as we can have some pretty hot weather spells well into fall. Too, I'm using edible pod peas, which are best when eaten small. I don't have to wait for them to grow and mature
But they can tolerate a good bit of cool weather and even mild frost, so should last here, right up into November. Some succession planting should make them available right up until then. We'll see.