Our local groundhog in Raleigh saw his shadow on Saturday, which supposedly means six more weeks of winter. I don't put much faith in the ability of rodents to do more than eat their unearned share of my vegetables, but I hope not. The cold will come or it won't. What I really start hoping for now is dry weather. My planting calendar starts haunting a certain corner of my head round the clock. Trays of spring-crop seedlings are increasing by the day in the greenhouse, with flats of more tender seedlings sprouting indoors under lights. We want it dry enough to get out there are start preparing the ground for spring planting. I can create warmer micro-climates with row covers and low tunnels for early spring sowings, but I can't do anything with fields of mud, and those flats of seedlings won't hold forever.
In the meantime, we're trying to stretch the field-holding cability of the over-wintered crops through this crazy back-and-forth winter weather. It doesn't do any of the plants any good to see sub-freezing weather one day, and 75 degrees the next; not to mention I'm getting a little tired of flipping row covers on and off in an attempt to create more stable temperatures. We are out of beets and cauliflower until the spring crops are ready (c'mon, dry weather, so I can plant more for you!). I made 3 or 4 plantings of winter broccoli last summer - we've harvested the main larger crowns from all of these. The broccoli plants should continue to produce secondary florets for a little while longer, but pound for pound, there may not be as much each week as I've had the past few months. Some of the cabbages are starting to split and crack, so if you're in the mood for cabbages, best to get yours in the next few weeks, otherwise it's likely all chicken food. And while the ferny fennel tops have been burned out by the cold, the bulbs are still OK. I don't know exactly how long the bulbs will hold in the ground while their tops are dying back, but I wouldn't expect them to last too much longer. I had quite a bit of fennel still out there, the trimmed bulbs are now $2 each or 2 for $3.
I do still have seemingly endless greens (no matter what the winter weather does, there's always kale and collards), as well as what feels like a never-ending supply of carrots. Small last late-winter harvests of baby turnips, dill and tatsoi coming out of the greenhouse. And here's another good reason to eat your greens and carrots - they might just make you happier!
In the meantime, we're trying to stretch the field-holding cability of the over-wintered crops through this crazy back-and-forth winter weather. It doesn't do any of the plants any good to see sub-freezing weather one day, and 75 degrees the next; not to mention I'm getting a little tired of flipping row covers on and off in an attempt to create more stable temperatures. We are out of beets and cauliflower until the spring crops are ready (c'mon, dry weather, so I can plant more for you!). I made 3 or 4 plantings of winter broccoli last summer - we've harvested the main larger crowns from all of these. The broccoli plants should continue to produce secondary florets for a little while longer, but pound for pound, there may not be as much each week as I've had the past few months. Some of the cabbages are starting to split and crack, so if you're in the mood for cabbages, best to get yours in the next few weeks, otherwise it's likely all chicken food. And while the ferny fennel tops have been burned out by the cold, the bulbs are still OK. I don't know exactly how long the bulbs will hold in the ground while their tops are dying back, but I wouldn't expect them to last too much longer. I had quite a bit of fennel still out there, the trimmed bulbs are now $2 each or 2 for $3.
I do still have seemingly endless greens (no matter what the winter weather does, there's always kale and collards), as well as what feels like a never-ending supply of carrots. Small last late-winter harvests of baby turnips, dill and tatsoi coming out of the greenhouse. And here's another good reason to eat your greens and carrots - they might just make you happier!
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