Farming vegetables offers both economic and personal rewards. But how can you harvest enough produce to feed your family year-round?
Learn to grow cool-season vegetables that thrive in winter weather, such as kale, spinach, lettuce, carrots, and Swiss chard. Perennial plants such as asparagus, rhubarb, and artichokes should also play an integral part in any self-sufficient garden.
Spring
Your spring garden can provide the foundation of an annual vegetable harvest. Cool-season crops like vegetables planted early spring are best suited to withstand light frosts and thrive in lower temperatures; later planted crops can be replanted later in summer and fall for continued harvests.
Start the season right by sowing seeds of radishes, beets, carrots, and lettuce indoors or directly sowing outdoors from late February to early March. By mid-to-late March, you should plant basil seeds directly in the garden or transplant seedlings from mid-March onwards; basil corn, cucumbers, eggplant peppers, and squash watermelons directly or transplanted from seedlings can also be planted directly in mid-late March; peas, spinach, fava beans, and arugula can also be grown either indoors or started outdoors – starting indoors will ensure success with planting season one.
After this point, in late spring and early summer, you can sow beans, corn, and summer carrots outdoors and transplant tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, Swiss chard, tomatillos squash, and zucchini plants. Furthermore, now would be an opportune time to start sowing okra or sweet potatoes if that is your plan!
At your next garden sale, pay attention to hardy greens like kale and other varieties – they make delicious snacks that are simple to cultivate! For maximum harvest potential, stagger small plantings every few weeks while keeping them well watered. When growing fast-maturing veggies like baby lettuce, mulching helps prevent the wilting that often results in hot conditions.
Rhubarb is an irresistibly tasty perennial vegetable, typically only available during spring farmers markets or local restaurants. Growing your own is easy and rewarding for children of any age – perfect for family gardening projects with kids! This vegetable can even be enjoyed year-round by freezing or dehydrating it! Also, fresh produce from your garden is ideal for making a delicious pie! Powered by Squarespace
Summer
Summer is an excellent season for cultivating many of our favourite vegetables. Fast-growing salad crops such as kale, lettuce and hardy greens can quickly fill garden beds. Other hot-weather favourites such as beans, squash, zucchini, cucumbers, eggplant and peppers also thrive during this warm-weather period. If space allows, why not plant some tomatoes for fresh, homegrown goodness?
Cool-season crops like carrots, rutabagas, turnips, and spinach can extend harvests well into fall and winter by providing cool temperatures for growing. By covering them with row covers or other forms of frost protection, they may flourish right into wintertime!
When sowing these cool-season vegetables directly in your garden, it is crucial that the soil drains well to avoid overwatering, which could cause roots to rot. Furthermore, for best results, use natural vegetable fertilizers like G&B Organics or Dr. Earth in accordance with package directions.
Sowing seeds of cool-season vegetables in rows or blocks rather than hills ensures an even crop. Furthermore, ensure adequate irrigation as they’re highly vulnerable to drying out in dry environments.
One great way to extend your veggie gardening season into fall and even winter is sowing seeds of berries. Although these fast-growing veggies may be easy to cultivate, remember that blueberries require at least two plants for cross-pollination, while strawberries require regular watering to prevent blossom drop. When sowing seeds of berries, protect them from birds with bird netting when the fruit begins ripening. Be sure to select varieties suitable for your climate (berries can be quite fragile and may not do well in extreme cold temperatures). Plant them during summer so harvest time – even as early as September in milder climates!
Fall
Once summer produce like tomatoes, squash, and peppers have reached their prime, it’s time to consider fall and winter gardening. You may be amazed to find that your garden still produces fresh veggies even after the warm season has come and gone—there are numerous plants that thrive in cooler temperatures, frost, and even overwinter and continue producing into next spring!
Knowing your region’s average first frost date is vital when establishing an optimal planting window for fall and winter vegetables. Your local nursery or cooperative extension office should have this information, or you can check seed packets or online almanacks for days to maturity information. Typically, when subtracting this figure from any number of weeks needed for vegetables to ripen, you should get an approximate date when the frost should hit.
Start by clearing away underperforming plants (like diseased tomatoes and burned-out peas) and weeds. Add 2—to 3-inch layers of well-decomposed compost to the beds—this will give new crops a good start while improving soil quality.
Plant cool-weather leafy vegetables for harvest throughout fall and winter: kale, collards, Swiss chard, arugula, spinach, and radishes. Most will even taste better after being touched by frost! Additionally, carrots, turnips, rutabagas, and beets are all sweetened after exposure to frost, while garlic thrives when planted during this season with its pungent aroma and robust resilience.
Fall and winter vegetables not only offer nutritious food but can also be beautifully displayed in a garden. Add colour with annual flowers like impatiens, strawflower, cape daisy, etc. Also, be sure to include herbs such as parsley and cilantro for flavorful meals!
Winter
By mid-to-late summer, most vegetable gardens have produced ample fresh produce, and sowing new seeds may be low on gardeners’ to-do lists. But now is an excellent opportunity to plant cold-hardy crops like onions that will yield a harvest over multiple seasons.
To maximize success, start growing winter vegetables indoors 6-8 weeks before your average last frost date. Each vegetable has different germination temperatures, so it is crucial that you follow the instructions on your seed packet carefully. Generally, most winter vegetable varieties prefer slightly acidic soil (6.0-6.8) for optimal performance, and a soil testing kit can often be found at garden centres.
These hardy plants require well-draining soil rich in organic matter and are regularly amended to help keep temperatures at an appropriate level, particularly during cooler seasons. While not tolerant to hot climates and may need shade when the sun becomes too intense, these hardy perennials will thrive under most circumstances given proper care.
If you have the space, a hoop house or low tunnel (semi-permanent structures made of PVC pipes or recycled milk jugs) can extend the growing season and protect you from frost. While more costly than greenhouses, hoop houses offer four-season gardening and delicious fresh veggies all year!
Another idea for your garden this year would be to include cold-weather vegetables, such as kale, Swiss chard, collard greens, leeks, rutabagas and turnips, in your four-season gardening activities. They produce continuously in milder areas, while some might need protection from extreme cold or frost; it will be fun and rewarding while honing four-season gardening skills simultaneously! Remember to save seeds from self-pollinating non-hybrid flowers like marigolds and sunflowers so you can plant them next year!