Late February 2016 - Winter Veggies(Note: this is really not the most exciting update)This is one of
Late February 2016 - Winter Veggies(Note: this is really not the most exciting update)This is one of the most successful veggies in our tray that is sitting to the side of the driveway (a microclimate). These plants have had a pretty dramatic life so far. They got off to a great start, but then those white moth things devastated a bit of the tray. Then the cold came. These are hardy plants but not really meant to survive through a zone 6 winter. Half the tray was broccolis, they were severely damaged by both of the above issues and are now making tiny little broccoli heads. They mostly look dead and melted though from freeze damage. This side of the tray is doing pretty well, all things considered. If I can keep the bugs off them, they’ll do quite nicely for spring. Yes, they’re pretty crowded and no the tray isn’t that deep, but the soil they do have is very good.This was more of an experiment than anything else. They would’ve been planted in the Deck Bed, but last winter some strange disease wiped out ALL the brassicas in there - their roots rotted and they died terrible, tragic deaths. So no more brassicas in there for a few more years yet. We’ve had a warm weekend and noticing that some of our soils are improving. If you dump mulch on top of clay, mix in some compost, and wait a few years, the worms will eventually mix everything together, add their own awesomeness, and you end up with something quite lovely. Part of the reason why things have been rough here is that we’re starting from scratch in terms of soil, but it’s nice to have the hard work and patience pay off.This winter was also a comparison in three microclimates - the Deck Bed, this tray in the driveway sheltered from the north, and Dome 2 East Bed. All are sheltered to varying degrees, but this tray did surprisingly well. It’s actually next to a hugelkultur bed of sorts - it’s mostly logs - and we’re looking to redo that area at some point, so now we know it’ll be great for growing things during winter. -- source link
#crittercove#garden notes#winter garden#brassicas