Overwintering usually refers to the practice of leaving cold-hardy, healthy, established crops in the ground in the fall with the expectation that they will provide harvests through the dark and cold months of winter.
Read More2014: Year of the Tomato
Cherokee Purple Heirloom Tomato
Photo by: Hilary Dahl
It turned out 2014 was all about tomatoes! Tomatoes seem to be the crop that excites our clients and gardeners all around Seattle the most. While tomatoes are very easy to grow in many parts of the country, our summers tend to be relatively cool and short. While many Seattle transplants are used to eating fresh tomatoes off of the vine all summer long, it isn’t uncommon that we find ourselves harvesting tons of green tomatoes off dying vines at the end of September.
Read MoreHow to Plant Garlic
Garlic is a member of the Allium family, which also includes onions, scallions, shallots and leeks.
Garlic is a very long season crop. Garlic grows best when planted in the fall because it must “vernalize.” When a crop requires vernalization, it means that it will grow best after prolonged exposure to cold temperatures. In the case of garlic, vernalization initiates the bulbing of the head.
Read MoreA Quick Note on Fall Spinach
Overwintering this cold-hardy green is easy! For successful overwintering, it is important that you thin your spinach to decrease competition between plants and increase air circulation. Once your spinach has developed 3 sets of leaves, thin seedlings to 4-6” apart. If you end up pulling out lots of healthy looking seedlings and have more room in your garden, transplant them to increase your fall and early spring harvest! You can always pull them out when you need to make room for spring crops.
Mustard Greens
Mustard greens, Brassica juncea, are easy to grow, mature relatively quickly, and produce high yields in small areas. They like cooler temperatures and grow best when direct seeded in the late summer to produce a fall and winter crop. They are also a great crop to seed early in the spring!
Read More5 Ways to Prepare Your Garden For Winter
Like it or not, the end of summer is hurtling towards us at unbelievable speed, like a gigantic meteor hell-bent on disheveling Elijah Woods hair. There is little we can do, but getting the vegetable garden in order seems like a good way to make the most of the time we have left…and why not make sure things are ready for next spring just in case the Mayans miscalculated…
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