The air temperature has turned more seasonal--in the 40s during the day, below freezing at night. We've had a string of such days with bright blue skies and starry nights, after a warm start to the week on Monday. During our early morning walk we smell wood smoke wafting from our neighbor's houses. Two large deer hang from a tree down the road, harvested from the surrounding woods and hills by a neighbor and his friends. Local food for sure.
It's been a few weeks since I peeked under my hoops and Reemay to check on my own local produce--the spinach, chard, beets, cilantro, and arugula in our garden. As I expected, it is growing slowly. Some if might not be harvested until next spring. Still, it is a thrill to see it growing so well under its cover.
The Reemay allows sunlight and water through, while protecting the plants from wind and some of the cold. The spinach, chard, and beets are doing well under there, with no additional watering or other care.
The arugula and cilantro, which I planted from seed, are also coming along. Here is the cilantro. I might be digging this out from under the snow in mid-winter, to add a bit of freshness to our winter fare.
This is my first attempt at extending the gardening season into the colder months. So far, so good.
Always a pleasure to see young seedlings isn't it? I hope that it works out well for you and even if it becomes impossible to harvest much this winter there will be a nice surprise next spring!
ReplyDeleteHaving redone the tops of my cold frame last year I now need to decide whether to rebuild the base from new wood this year. And it's getting a bit late! Though I do think I planted mache at about this time last year. And now you've given me the idea to throw some cilantro seed in somewhere and hope for the best.
Thanks Ken. I uncovered the seedlings yesterday for several hours since it was so warm for this day in November. What a treat to see all of those green plants. The cilantro is slow to grow but there will be a nice crop in there come spring. It takes several weeks to germinate, but with time it will reward you :). Good luck with your cold frames too.
ReplyDeleteEllen