Winter Gardening Activities - Part 1

Well I haven't posted in a while,  but that doesn't mean I haven't been busy.

I live where we have fairly mild winters; no snow, just fog and rain. The San Joaquin Valley would be a desert if it wasn't for irrigation. So this means, we can grow cool season crops through the winter.

This year I had beets, lettuce, carrots, onions, leeks and snow peas planted. I had also planted cabbage and other cole crops, but they either didn't come up or the chickens ate them. Unfortunately, I also have a little dog, Pete, whose a little enthusiastic about hunting gophers. I had one show up after 2 years without any sign of them. Pete dug under the garden fence and then proceeded to trench along the gopher trails digging up my carrots, onions, leeks and some lettuce in the process. He did a whole lot more damage than that pesky gopher. I only salvaged a few carrots, green onions, and leeks. To keep Pete out of the garden, I ended up stacking rocks over his hole and pouring bleach over the rocks. I was hoping the smell of chlorine would bother his nose and discourage him. It seems to have worked since he hasn't tried again. (Previously he dug or moved the rocks even though they were fairly heavy.)

What I do have now are some very nice beets,a variety of lettuce and a few snow peas.

This year I decided to start my own plant, i.e. tomatoes, more cole crops, even peas. If you price plants at the local Lowes or Walmart, they cost at least $3.49 for a 4 inch pot; that can add up quickly. Often times these plants are already stressed because the people working in those garden departments often don't have a clue about gardening and either over-water or under-water the plants. You are limited to the varieties they carry. Plus you don't know where the seed was grown and under what conditions. Also, I decided I wanted to start growing non-genetically enhanced or changed seed that is reproducable unlike so many hybrids on the market these days. If you save seed, you won't have to buy it again in the future. You can stock up on what you like. (Save your seed in an airtight container in the refrigerator - I use large plastic jars like they use for peanut butter or trail mix.)

I bought a heat pad, a single planting unit that was the size of the heat pad and a grow light (I had a standard work shop fluorescent fixture, just needed the bulb) . You can buy these as kits and lights from various websites or some hardware stores. I found mine at Orchard Supply. The planting unit had sections in which I could plant up to 72 plants. I used a seed starter mixture which has fine peat moss and perlite, but no real "dirt". You want to avoid something called "damping off disease" which is carried in "dirt". You can try using potting soil if it's all you have, but as a precaution, heat to soil up on the oven to kill any disease germs or unwanted fungus.

I planted 4 kinds of tomatoes, cabbage, bok choy and comfrey. I only bought the one unit, because I use other items for potting plants or starting seed. For example: yogurt containers, baby powder bottles, plastic vitamin bottles, water bottles, etc. You get the idea. Just use a serrated knife to cut the container to the size you want.

I bought my seeds from Sustainable Seed Co. I started my seeds on February 5th and by March 5th they were ready to be transplanted into larger containers. One thing I learned, be sure your grow light is low enough or the seedlings will be "leggy" as they reach for the light. This is not a big problem with tomatoes because its an opportunity to create a bigger root system. You see whatever portion of the tomato stem is under dirt will produce roots. You can even remove the bottom leaves and bury that portion underground to form more roots. The advantage of more roots is more nutrients drawn into the plant thereby creating a stronger plant with more tomatoes. If you live where it gets really warm or your soil is really sandy, plant with the roots deep in the soil. If you live where its cooler or your soil has a high clay content, dig a trench and lay your plant in sideways so the rootball is horizontal (parallel to the surface) when you bury it. Don't try to bend the top of the plant upward - you'll break it. Just let the sun coax it upward. So when I transplanted my seedlings, I planted them in water bottles with the tops cut off. Then to create a mini-greenhouse effect, I used some masking tape and taped the bottle tops back on. As soon as the plant starts crowding the bottle tops, remove the bottle top so it won't inhibit the growth. Mine came off within a few weeks. Just keep transplanting into taller and taller containers such as 2-liter soda bottles until you're ready to plant in the ground.

Once the weather warmed up (mid-40s at night), I moved some of my plants outdoors. Not directly into the garden because the soil is still cool. I created a sort of greenhouse. My husband built me supports for my tomatoes a couple years ago because those tomato cages they sell in stores just don't cut it if your plants get 5-6 feet tall.

Supports built from galvanized 1/2 inch pipe.

These supports make handy frames for plastic covers  (painting drop clothes) to keep frost off your plants. Also, a plant new to the direct sun will burn. Then there's the plus of keeping moisture in. So I set one of these supports in direct sun, placed a 2x6 foot piece of plywood on some overturned large pots. (An old door and 5 gallon buckets would also work - use whatever you've got handy.)

I'll write more about my potatoe starts, but first I have a family gathering to attend.