Greens for Winter

[digitS']

I am continuing to grow some things in my greenhouse this winter. This is the third year to have greens, mostly for winter stir-fries.

I built the greenhouse 20 years ago to grow plants in flats. Essentially a "sunshed," it is 9' by 20' and has a natural gas furnace but heat is only turned on for a few weeks each spring. The north wall and roof are insulated and the sloping south wall is covered with UV-resistant plastic film. A central bench, 18' long, takes up most of the growing space and I pull that out in October. Here is the bench after I had rebuilt it in 2013:

After pulling this out, I was able to plant mostly Asian greens that I started near the end of September:

Here they are on 20 October:

Many of those extra plants waaay down there in the flat went into a narrow bed directly against the south wall. It fairly cold there and we'll see how they will do this winter. Here are some of the plants in the central, larger bed by 20 November:

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This bed with these plants has a low plastic tunnel over pvc hoops. That cover went over them after the 20th when overnight outdoor temperatures fell into the teens.

Our average temperature rose above the 20's yesterday so I pulled the low tunnel off the greens in the greenhouse.

The greens have suffered some from the low light conditions and there was even less light for a few snowy days and continuing but it's warmer.

Some greens came in the house today for stir-fries .

Steve

[HoneyBerry]

Beautiful, nice job. Some fresh home grown heirloom tomatoes would go nicely with those greens. So fresh that salad dressing is optional. What you are doing is similar to what I want to do. I want to grow salad greens all year long. And sprouts. And wheetgrass too. I need to devote some time to build a greenhouse.

[applestar]

Wow, I know you've mentioned this before, but those photos really makes it all look worthwhile!
Wonderful!

[digitS']

Thanks .

Timing in life is everything, somebody once said. There should also be a quote about the worse the timing, the more important the patience.

In 2013, I accidentally had nice plant starts in the outdoor garden that could be moved into the greenhouse in the fall. Seed sown in the greenhouse with those, grew okay for greens in February and March, as well.

The second season, the outdoor starts were too mature to move indoors in October. Seed once again gave me a greens crop in February and March.

This year, I decided to start seeds in a flat of soil. I had to pay attention because after September frosts, we had a near record warm October. Once again, my outdoor starts were too mature but I had plenty of transplants from the flat.

I should still have to exercise patience in January. There will be almost no growth that month.

These plants have been Asian greens, like bok choy. The greenhouse bench was my location for drying seed, however. I'll have some volunteer dill and cilantro joining the Asian greens . The volunteer beans don't survive the cold when frost occurs inside the greenhouse and under the low tunnel. They are already history .

When outdoor temperatures drop to 0°f, I will cover the tunnel with tarps. I'm not in complete control of this "protected growing," especially without turning on the heater. Surprisingly, the greens have been very tender for the table, each year.

Steve

[digitS']

And now,

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into the skillet!

Steve

[applestar]

Yummy! ...and Greens grown in the protected environment are so tender, too.

[digitS']

Since this is the first day in awhile of some warmth and sunshine, I pulled off the low tunnel in the greenhouse so the greens could get some sun and fresh air. There was ice in the folds of plastic after 2 hours of sunshine!

I expect the plants to begin growing again near the end of the month. Maybe even the lettuce - but, it's having an especially tough time.

I mentioned them on Erins327 Vegetable Gardening thread: link. Then, decided to go see how they were doing.

The Asian greens looked a little worse for a having been covered up so much lately and for the nights in single digitS', but they were okay for a stir fry with a roasted Cornish game hen .

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Steve

[imafan26]

You are making me hungry.

[HoneyBerry]

I've never done it, but heard that garlic can be grown for the greens. The greens are tasty for salads, etc. I'm going to plant some garlic bulbs in a little clay pot and keep it in my kitchen window, just for the greens.

[digitS']

Well,

from outdoors ..

. chives will be our very first garden vegetable. We will cut them really small and put a nice big handful in some scrambled eggs.

Steve

[imafan26]

I grow garlic chives. Perennial with garlicky flavor good in eggs.

[digitS']

Four, 1-gallon bags and it's 1 of the 2 lettuce bags that is open. The others are for stir-fry. Still, plenty of greens in the greenhouse, big bed.

The plants are the smallest harvested this winter. That's okay. They are from the skinny bed closest to the south wall. They were never covered, even on the coldest nights!

I wasn't gonna use that bed for anything. There were extra plants after filling the big, coverable bed. So, they got their chance. They must have froze any number of times!

Well, the tender/tuff little things had to go! This morning, the narrow benches went back over that bed and soil went into a flat or two. Onion seed will go in this afternoon!

Steve

[j3707]

Looks good Steve!

[digitS']

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There is some frost damage to the bok choy but it's minor. They might decide to bolt before mid-March! At that time, the benches will have to come back in the greenhouse for the spring plant starts.

Steve

[digitS']

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[applestar]

They look yummy! I'm thinking I have to try something like this -- between yours and pepperhead212's methods -- next fall-winter.