Growing vegetables in the middle of winter can be a difficult task, but with the right precautions, it is possible to keep several vegetables warm enough to survive cold temperatures. Regardless of the methods you use, you should make it a goal to grow winter vegetables for as long as possible. Cold temperatures, especially at night, allow these vegetables to develop more sugar, as they need sugar to survive low temperatures. These natural sugars improve the flavor of vegetables.
Steps
Step 1. Choose the right crops
You should always choose vegetables that can grow all year round, resistant to cold, to be used for gardening in winter, but among these there are also some that withstand severe frosts better than others. You should do careful research on the minimum temperature and growing requirements of a winter vegetable before committing to growing it.
- Common winter vegetables include arugula, chard, broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, carrots, cauliflower, chard, endive, broad beans, rapeseed, garlic, leeks, lettuce, mustard, onions, parsnips, radicchio, and spinach.
- Onions are among the hardiest vegetables, and most survive in temperatures as low as -18 degrees Celsius. Walla Walla sweet onion is probably the hardiest, with some studies suggesting it can withstand frosts as low as -24 degrees Celsius.
- Brussels sprouts are also quite hardy and can withstand temperatures as low as -16 degrees Celsius. Similarly, radicchio and endive both survive at temperatures around -15 degrees Celsius.
- Lettuce is one of the least cold-resistant vegetables, but it too, in particular circumstances, can withstand up to -4 degrees Celsius.
Step 2. Rotate the vegetables
Regardless of where you plant winter vegetables, you need to rotate the vegetables every year. Planting the same crop in the same location will cause the soil to lose nutrients. Parasites that are attracted to that type of vegetable will also tend to gravitate to that soil, causing damage.
If you don't rotate winter vegetables you plant in a plot of land, you should at least plant a different vegetable in another season, such as spring and summer, to improve soil quality
Step 3. Make use of walls
The outer walls of houses, sheds and garages provide sufficient natural protection against the winds of the harsh winter. If you live in a region with mild or not excessively cold winters, you could get by without using any other protection except a wall that protects you from the north winds. These walls allow the plants to receive maximum sunlight while protecting them from most cold winds.
Step 4. Use bells
The bells are, in a certain sense, mobile homes for the green. They can be made with several clear materials that can keep the wind away from the plant, while sunlight is able to pass through them for the benefit of the plants. There are several models that you can try.
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Push rigid metal spikes into the ground and place glass on them in a triangle in the style of a teepee or "Indian hut".
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Cut the bottom of a clear 4-liter glass or plastic container and place it on smaller crops.
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Step 5. Build a Polytunnel Greenhouse, known as a PVC Circle Greenhouse or Tall Tunnel
It's basically the same thing as a bell, except it's bigger.
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You will need to insert several large, half circles of PVC piping or electrical ducts into the ground along the length of the plant bed. These half circles should be large enough for a person to walk under them (at least 1.5m wide, about 1.5m high and spaced about 1.5m apart.
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It may be better to nail the frame of the half circles to sturdy wooden boards to provide them with additional support.
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Hook sheets of transparent plastic or light polycarbonate fabric or similar on the frame. You can nail the sheets in place, or weight them down with heavy stones or sandbags.
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Step 6. Build a frame for the cold
A cold frame is a more permanent structure that you can use for several years. You can build one out of wood and fiberglass, but you can also buy one pre-made online or at a garden store. A cold frame is about 46 cm high in the back and 30 cm in the front, with a sloping, transparent roof that collects the heat of the sun at an angle.
Step 7. Grow your vegetables in raised beds
Raised flower beds use stone, brick, or wood to create a frame around the vegetable garden. This frame is then filled with nutrient-rich soil. By keeping your winter vegetables raised, it is possible to keep the soil warmer with a difference of 11 to 13 degrees Celsius compared to the soil around the flower bed.
Step 8. Cover the crops
Ground covers isolate the soil, keeping it generally warmer than it would be if exposed directly to the strong winter wind.
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Use the soil to keep your root vegetables covered. Pile the soil around your root vegetables, such as carrots, but do not cover the leaves that sprout from the soil. The leaves need to absorb sunlight, but keeping the tuber covered is often enough to protect these crops from frost.
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Warm with mulch. A layer of mulch should be applied to crops just before the ground freezes. In very cold regions, the layer can be about 30 cm deep, but it can be a little thinner in warmer regions, with less severe temperatures. For best results, use light mulch, such as straw, pine needles, shredded leaves, or grass clippings. You can also use heavier materials such as a light bark mulch, especially in colder regions. Make sure you don't mulch over the budding leaves. Otherwise, you can inadvertently kill crops by depriving them of sunlight.
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Step 9. Plant the vegetables indoors
You can grow many vegetables indoors during the winter, as long as you have enough space and adequate resources. Most of these vegetables have deep root systems and need to be planted in very deep containers. Frequent watering is often necessary, depending on the specific vegetable you have chosen to grow, and it may be necessary to supplement natural light with artificial lights if the gray winter sky does not let sufficient light pass through the windows.
