We saw some wonderful warm-season vegetables on SQWIB's thread ...
so nice!
We have some bok choy, choy sum and mustard greens. They are welcome and only available because they aren't in the open garden but in the better sheltered, backyard beds. As some of the greens were pulled, others were filling in.
It's just that they were in daytime sun and, even with many light frosts, the cold nights never shut down these greens. First frost: 22 September. The temperatures in the next few days should do it! May have nothing above freezing, on one or two of those days.
Of course, there are still 4 kale varieties out there, as well. Aaand, some collards ..! Have no idea how much cold collards can take. For that matter, I don't know about Portuguese, Italian and Siberian kale ... although one could have a suspicion about the last. I have grown them before but in the gardens where clean cultivation is the rule.
Steve
Although collards are thought of as a hot vegetable because it grows in the South, it really is a cool season plant. It just tolerates more heat. Like kale and broccoli it can stand a bit of snow. Collards are supposed to be one of the most adaptable of all the cabbages and can handle temperatures in the teens. Like kale collards are sweeter grown in cooler weather.
Freezing but there isn't much cold with temperatures just down into the 20's Fahrenheit.
It will be colder for a few, upcoming mornings.
Some snow, however ... there is about 4" of the white stuff everywhere except under the trees in my yard. I will try to keep track of these cool-weather greens but my larger growing areas are not here at home. The gardening and harvesting there has ceased.
The few beds at home have mostly the Asian greens. Even the mustard is an Asian, twisted-stem variety. From experience, I know that their growth is done. The snow cover may help some of them survive the winter but it won't be many and the ones that do survive will bolt to seed with warm weather in 2018. That's okay, seed stocks may need to be restored
.
We will only have a few servings of the kales and collards because there are so few plants of each. Years ago, I thought that it would be best for me to grow Scotch kale only for winter harvest. Left alone for months, the plants were huge! Too bad that they were about 100 yards from the backdoor of the country home where I lived, then. That winter had a good deal of snow and I can still see in my mind's eye, the trail thru 4+ feet of snow to reach the kale!
In recent years ... my kale is harvested throughout the growing season, it stays much shorter but is quite a bit more accessible .
Steve
It will be colder for a few, upcoming mornings.
Some snow, however ... there is about 4" of the white stuff everywhere except under the trees in my yard. I will try to keep track of these cool-weather greens but my larger growing areas are not here at home. The gardening and harvesting there has ceased.
The few beds at home have mostly the Asian greens. Even the mustard is an Asian, twisted-stem variety. From experience, I know that their growth is done. The snow cover may help some of them survive the winter but it won't be many and the ones that do survive will bolt to seed with warm weather in 2018. That's okay, seed stocks may need to be restored
.We will only have a few servings of the kales and collards because there are so few plants of each. Years ago, I thought that it would be best for me to grow Scotch kale only for winter harvest. Left alone for months, the plants were huge! Too bad that they were about 100 yards from the backdoor of the country home where I lived, then. That winter had a good deal of snow and I can still see in my mind's eye, the trail thru 4+ feet of snow to reach the kale!
In recent years ... my kale is harvested throughout the growing season, it stays much shorter but is quite a bit more accessible
.Steve
James, I hope it's okay if I post a link to your "November 18" thread ..
. here:
CLICK
It seemed kind of a shame that you tempted us on this thread but then posted your beautiful scenery somewhere else .
Steve
. here:
CLICK
It seemed kind of a shame that you tempted us on this thread but then posted your beautiful scenery somewhere else
.Steve
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Gary350
- Super Green Thumb
- Posts: 7419
- Joined: Mon Mar 23, 2009 1:59 pm
- Location: TN. 50 years of gardening experience.
When I want to know what cold temperature kills a certain plants I do Google search. I have a list. This varies with humidity. I have had broccoli do good in 21 degrees then another time 28 degrees killed it.
Collard Greens & Leeks 0 degrees.
Lettuce & Spinach 10 degrees.
Carrots 12 degrees.
Green Swiss Chard, Cilantro, Russian Red Kale 15 degrees.
Beets 20 degrees.
cabbage 20 to 25 degrees.
Red Swiss chard, Rainbow Swiss chard, Boc Choy, Napa 25 degrees.
Blue kale, Broccoli 28 degrees.
Collard Greens & Leeks 0 degrees.
Lettuce & Spinach 10 degrees.
Carrots 12 degrees.
Green Swiss Chard, Cilantro, Russian Red Kale 15 degrees.
Beets 20 degrees.
cabbage 20 to 25 degrees.
Red Swiss chard, Rainbow Swiss chard, Boc Choy, Napa 25 degrees.
Blue kale, Broccoli 28 degrees.
Thank you, Gary. That's helpful but I would have a dispute with your source for some of those numbers.
All the brassicas in my backyard beds have already survived temperatures in the teens. It was 28°f this morning and has been that temperature or colder on most of the November mornings.
Those long-ago winter days noted above, when I was trekking out through 4' of snow to reach my huge kale plants, was both snowy and cold. I remember one day when the afternoon high was -10°. Snow makes great insulation but I imagine that there was a number of early winter days when the snow wasn't adequate to cover the plants.
I usually do not leave vegetables to overwinter in the gardens but have done a little of that. Last winter, there were mornings both in December and January with below zero temperatures. Scotch kale came through just fine.
Steve
All the brassicas in my backyard beds have already survived temperatures in the teens. It was 28°f this morning and has been that temperature or colder on most of the November mornings.
Those long-ago winter days noted above, when I was trekking out through 4' of snow to reach my huge kale plants, was both snowy and cold. I remember one day when the afternoon high was -10°. Snow makes great insulation but I imagine that there was a number of early winter days when the snow wasn't adequate to cover the plants.
I usually do not leave vegetables to overwinter in the gardens but have done a little of that. Last winter, there were mornings both in December and January with below zero temperatures. Scotch kale came through just fine.
Steve