Wintering My Garden

[Jane23]

Hello,

I have gardened for a few years, but I am trying something new this year. This year I will try to winter my garlic, onions (and potatoes if I can get any). A friend did garlic last year, so I know it is possible in my zone; I was looking for advice about onions and potatoes for anyone who has done this. I planted my seeds directly into the raised garden (I know starting them in trays means higher success, but that is not an option right now. I have also gotten some straw to cover them for the winter. Should I cover them now? It is usually still warm during the day, but it can turn instantly cold and start to snow. They have not yet spouted, and we are in for a bit more hot weather than rain, so I am concerned. Does anyone know if I should cover them now?

-Jane

 

[flowerbug]

Hello,

I have gardened for a few years, but I am trying something new this year. This year I will try to winter my garlic, onions (and potatoes if I can get any). A friend did garlic last year, so I know it is possible in my zone; I was looking for advice about onions and potatoes for anyone who has done this. I planted my seeds directly into the raised garden (I know starting them in trays means higher success, but that is not an option right now. I have also gotten some straw to cover them for the winter. Should I cover them now? It is usually still warm during the day, but it can turn instantly cold and start to snow. They have not yet spouted, and we are in for a bit more hot weather than rain, so I am concerned. Does anyone know if I should cover them now?

-Jane

this is somewhat zone, variety and soil dependent so hard to be precise.

normally for onion seedlings i would have them planted a few months ago if i wanted them to survive the winter if i were worried about indvidual plants. if i had enough seeds then i'd not be so worried and some would likely end up surviving even if i planted them right now (they may not sprout and grow until spring).

for garlic planted from cloves, what i grow here will survive without being mulched (and the onions too).

 

[Jane23]

I plan to plant my garlic next week, and the onions are an experiment. I don't know if I should cover them up or let them get the sun and rain for the next week. This is a bed I just built last week and set up. I do not mind if they do not come up until the spring, as that is my intent. Our winters are too hard for them to do much more than start underground. These are also seeds, not seedlings.

 

[flowerbug]

IMO save them until spring. if you plant them now and they sprout they won't likely have enough time to develop a bulb.

if you have a lot of seeds you can plant some of each now and then also save some for spring to see how they do.

since i still don't know enough specifics to suggest anything else that's about the best i can do for advice.

 

[Jane23]

I had some bulbs bolt this summer and a couple of dropped seeds. I just transplanted three seedlings to my spring location. They were ready to go for transplanting, so I know I am starting too late, but the weather has been so hot I wasn't sure if they would go. Plus, I just built the bed I have been trying to make for months. I don't know if I should keep them uncovered until the true frost rolls in or leave them open. It shouldn't be too much longer. We had our first snow on the 12th of last year.

 

[meadow]

One drawback to overwintering potatoes is that you may create a habitat for potato-loving pests. We had wireworm damage last year so I grew potatoes in watering troughs this year (no wireworm damage, yay!).

 

[meadow]

I plan to plant my garlic next week

This is where it would be helpful to know your location (we generally put something in the location field in the profile, even if it is just the growing zone).

Grey Duck Garlic no longer sells garlic, but they still have a lot of good information on their website.

 

[digitS']

My garden is about 200 miles north of Walla Walla, Washington. That suggested growing the onions named for that community the way I have read would be reasonable.

So, I planted seed in late August.

The first year, many of the plants bolted to seed as the first Summer heat showed up. I tried sowing seed again. A colder Winter followed.  ALL of the plants bolted, months later.

Different varieties would probably be more successful. However, I have had very good success growing that variety and others by sowing seed in the greenhouse about the first of February. No heat is turned on in there until weeks later and, often by that time, the onion seedlings are needing to go outside during the daytime to slow their growth. The only special attention I give them during the Winter weeks is to cover the flat on nights that the soil may freeze.

Steve

 

[Jane23]

I live in South Eastern Montana, and we have had a hot summer, so by the planting calendars, I planted my seeds for winter, but nothing sprouted, as it was too hot.

We had a 95-degree day yesterday. Next week we finally slide into the mid-sixties and have rain coming in. I know I need a controlled environment for starting these seeds, but that is not an option right now.

I was hoping to plant some more next week to see if I can get anything started before it gets too cold and wet. I know I can accidentally cause pests in the garden by trying to winter them. I have rotated what I have from this year and aim to get a jump on things growing next year as it has either been too hot or too wet to keep things going.

As for the garlic, I am following the planting calendar for my area, and they recommend starting it at the beginning of October. I have never wintered it, so I am looking forward to trying.

 

[ducks4you]

from Central IL. Your growing zone/state have a LOT to do with answering your question. Please put your location with your avatar bc I won't remember where you live once you start posting.

Around The Farm Table - Garlic: The Stinking Rose - Twin Cities PBS

Inga prepares a fall harvest meal for farmer friends who helped plant garlic.

www.tpt.org

She lives in Wisconsin and might be in a similar zone to you.
I live in a warmer zone, and ALL of my advice was to get it into the ground ASAP.
Inga plants in October and covers with straw.