Winter is the perfect time to enjoy all your leftover harvest from your farm. But aside from enjoying your bounty of produce this cold season, you can still add to your stock by growing some edible winter plants.
By using the right farming equipment and tools, you can grow these cold weather crops which you can harvest and enjoy throughout the chilly season:
1. Peas
If you want to enjoy warm pea soup for dinner, plant snow peas, sugar snap, early snap and other varieties of peas six to eight weeks before the frost-free date. Make sure you sow them one to two inches deep and at least one inch apart in rich, organic soil. If you’re planting vining peas, grow them in an area where they can latch onto something such as wire fencing or a trellis.
You can harvest your produce once the pods look full and you can see and feel the peas in the shell. It is best to pick them while their shells are still green since their sugar content drops as soon as they are harvested.
2. Potatoes
To have a supply of potatoes during the cold season, plant Yukon Gold, Kennebec, and Red Pontiac seeds two to three weeks before the frost-free date. Plant the seeds in loose soil and with plenty of compost. Ensure they are planted two to three inches deep in rows at least 15 inches apart. When they start to grow, cover the plants with more soil every couple of weeks to avoid exposing the tubers to sunlight.
You can harvest your potatoes when they are already yellow and are starting to turn brown. Use a garden fork to dig the potatoes out but be careful not to slice into any of the veggies. After digging the potatoes, spread them on the ground to air-dry them for a few hours. Store them in a cool, dark place.
3. Cabbage
To enjoy this versatile and nutritious veggie, plant cabbage four to six weeks before a frost-free date. Space the seeds 12 to 18 inches apart. Make sure you check your plants frequently to prevent a cabbage looper infestation – a type of moth larvae that eats the leaves of cabbages.
When the head of the cabbage has reached its full size, you can harvest the plant. Use a sharp knife to remove the head but leave the bottom-most leaves.
4. Lettuce
Lastly, enjoy fresh green salad all winter round by growing leaf, baby greens, romaine, and other varieties of lettuce. Four to six weeks before your area’s frost-free date, sow the lettuce seeds by placing them on top of the garden soil. Make sure they get enough light so that they germinate. Give your plants one inch of water every week as well.
Harvest the lettuce before temperatures get warm. Baby greens, in particular, can be harvested after three to four weeks of planting. You can gather romaine and bibb varieties when their heads reach their full size. Cut them at soil level.
Even though the weather may be a bit nippy, by following some winter farming tips, you can continue planting, harvesting, and stocking up on your favorite produce during the cold season.