Working smarter in the fall garden

[JayPoc]

Working smarter not harder...lol. Ma Nature mulched my collards and kale for me. It was actually pretty awesome. One day last week I was lamenting that I would have to come home and rake all my leaves. Then we had a pretty epic windstorm that blew the whole yard clean and piled them up right where I would have raked them. Made the fall clean-up very easy this year. My collards and kale were well established and "caught" just enough of the leaves to give themselves a good mulching.

[applestar]

Yay!

-- now that they are mulched, if you put a low hoop tunnel with frost protection fabric over them, they should last for a while into the deep freeze.

[JayPoc]

Yay!

-- now that they are mulched, if you put a low hoop tunnel with frost protection fabric over them, they should last for a while into the deep freeze.

We'll pick and eat on each as we go, and then pick the collards heavily (then cook and freeze) before the first sub-20 degree night. The kale I don't worry about. It normally survives whatever winter has in store. Last year we had several sub zero nights (like minus 13 even!) and a few stretches where the daytime high never got above freezing for a week or two. The kale wasn't happy about it, but it survived and flourished in the spring. This batch is from seed I saved from those survivors, so I like their chances!

[kcopper]

Yay!

-- now that they are mulched, if you put a low hoop tunnel with frost protection fabric over them, they should last for a while into the deep freeze.

Hi Applestar. What frost protection do you use?

[imafan26]

I like that, a self cleaning garden. I wish I had that. I just have a jungle.

[jal_ut]

Wow ! Very nice. You should see my fall garden. Snowy White and the temperature is 14 degrees. Not a green thing in sight. Oh well, that is winter in Utah at 5000 ft elevation. Maybe we will get going by mid March?

[JayPoc]

This is what the garden looked like yesterday morning...kinda pretty if you ask me!

[Peter1142]

I have uncovered lettuce thriving. Reports of its inability to tolerate heavy freezes, frozen ground, and freeze/thaw are grossly overstated. Of course, it depends on the variety. I have Muir and Sparx. I am amazed with Muir, doesnt bolt in 100 degree heat, grows with 10 hour days and temps in the 40's . Of course, there is also the brussels sprouts. Peas are kaput, to tell you something about the weather.