What is a four season garden?

Saturday, January 25, 2014

January is the time of dreaming and planning for your spring garden.  All the seed companies begin sending out their catalogs for seeds and plants this month.   It is an exciting time for browsing the magazines and making the garden plan for the upcoming year! 

As you are planning for the upcoming garden season, think beyond just spring and summer vegetables.  Fall and winter are also available to extend fresh produce.  French and Italian gardeners have been using all four seasons for generations in their kitchen (potager) gardens.

4 Season Garden Explained

You hear people talk about a four season garden.  This just means growing a garden that you can harvest from in all four season-spring, summer, fall and winter. 

Crops fall into 2 categories-cold season crops and warm season crops.  Cold season crops are those that prefer when temperatures are cool.  When warm temperatures hit (80’s), the cold crops “bolt” which is simply sending up a flower stalk to make seeds.

Warm season crops are those that abhor frost or getting their feet chilly.  Most of the warm season crops are killed by frost and won’t grow until the soil is nice and warm.  

As you can guess, cold season crops are grown in the spring and fall.  The really cold (and freeze) hardy ones are also grown in the winter garden.  Warm season crops are put out after all danger of frost is passed and the soil has warmed. 

Cold season crops-Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Celery, Fennel, Leek, Lettuce, Marjoram, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Summer savory, Sorrel, Spinach

Warm season crops-Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Squash, and Beans.

So, when you go to plant in the spring, you will start with the cold season crops.  Once the danger of frost has passed, you can then add in your warm season crops.

At the height of summer, believe it or not, is when you should start sowing seeds for the fall and winter seasons.  You need to get your fall and winter veggies to full size by the first freeze.  With the shorter days, growth slows significantly between the end of November to the end of January in our Zone 6.

Many crops like spinach, kale, carrots, onions, thyme, sorrel, oregano, chives can be harvested all winter with just straw covering.  You can expand your selection to broccoli, cabbage, lettuce and chard among others by putting a hoop cover over your crops or using a mini greenhouse.

Midwest outdoor seed starting times

Garden bed ready for outdoor sowing

Sunday, January 19, 2014

If indoor seed starting is not your thing, but you still want to have the variety and cost effectiveness of seeds, you can direct sow your seeds directly into the garden.  If you are planting in mulch, be sure to open a hole in the mulch, plant the seed to the depth on the seed packet and cover with potting soil.  Mulch can form a hard crust that only the strongest seedling (like beans and squash) can break through.

I would prepare the beds first with fertilizer and mulch before starting seeds.  You can do a soil test yourself or send off for one if you want to create a fertilizer specific to your needs.   See this post for details The next step in garden production and your nutrition-soil minerals  If this is over the top for you, just use a good organic fertilizer at the recommended rate, an inch of compost, and cover with mulch.  You want to make sure your fertilizer is covered or you will lose a good portion of the nitrogen to the atmosphere.  I love gardening in mulch for many reasons that you can read about here:  Weed free, self fertilizing, till free garden beds

Here is the by month seed sowing calendar for our Zone 6 garden.  There are so many early and late varieties available that you should consult the seed packet on the best outdoor sowing times (always listed as the weeks before your last frost date) as you may be able to sow the seeds even sooner outdoors than has been typical in the past.

February (as soon as soil can be worked)

Asparagus

Fruit trees and bushes

Garlic

Grapes

Peas

Shallots

March

Arugula

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Chamomile

Chives

Collards

Cress

Fava beans

Fruit bushes

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leek

Lettuce (sow every 2 weeks if you are a salad lover for continuous salads)

Mache (corn salad)

Mustard

Onion

Parsnips

Peas

Potatoes

Rhubarb

Spinach (sow every 2 weeks through early May)

Turnips

April

Artichoke

Beans (snap-bush & pole)

Bee balm (monarda)

Borage

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Catnip

Cauliflower

Celeriac

Celery

Chard

Cilantro

Corn

Cucumber

Dill

Endive

Fennel

Fruit bushes

Horseradish

Lavender

Lemon balm

Lettuce

Lovage

Mizuna

Mustard

Onions

Parsley

Potatoes

Radicchio

Radishes

Spinach

Summer squash (like zucchini)

Tarragon

Thyme

Valerian

May

Basil

Bay

Beans (dry & lima)

Edamame

Eggplant

Lemon verbena

Marjoram

Melons (cantaloupe, watermelons)

Mint

Okra

Onions

Oregano

Peppers

Potatoes

Rosemary

Sage

Malabar & New Zealand spinach

Stevia

Sweet potato

Winter squash (like pumpkins and butternut squash)

Tomatoes

You can plant later than is shown above; just not earlier for risk of it being too cold for the seed sprout and the seed may rot.

Outdoor seed starting calendar

Garden bed ready for outdoor sowing

Sunday, January 19, 2014

If indoor seed starting is not your thing, but you still want to have the variety and cost effectiveness of seeds, you can direct sow your seeds directly into the garden.  If you are planting in mulch, be sure to open a hole in the mulch, plant the seed to the depth on the seed packet and cover with potting soil.  Mulch can form a hard crust that only the strongest seedling (like beans and squash) can break through.

Here is the by month seed sowing calendar for our Zone 6 garden.  There are so many early and late varieties available that you should consult the seed packet on the best outdoor sowing times (always listed as the weeks before your last frost date).  

February (as soon as soil can be worked)

Asparagus

Fruit trees and bushes

Garlic

Grapes

Peas

Shallots

March

Arugula

Asparagus

Beets

Broccoli

Cabbage

Carrots

Chamomile

Chives

Collards

Cress

Fava beans

Fruit bushes

Kale

Kohlrabi

Leek

Lettuce (sow every 2 weeks if you are a salad lover for continuous salads)

Mache (corn salad)

Mustard

Onion

Parsnips

Peas

Potatoes

Rhubarb

Spinach (sow every 2 weeks through early May)

Turnips

April

Artichoke

Beans (snap-bush & pole)

Bee balm (monarda)

Borage

Broccoli

Brussels sprouts

Carrots

Catnip

Cauliflower

Celeriac

Celery

Chard

Cilantro

Corn

Cucumber

Dill

Endive

Fennel

Fruit bushes

Horseradish

Lavender

Lemon balm

Lettuce

Lovage

Mizuna

Mustard

Onions

Parsley

Potatoes

Radicchio

Radishes

Spinach

Summer squash (like zucchini)

Tarragon

Thyme

Valerian

May

Basil

Bay

Beans (dry & lima)

Edamame

Eggplant

Lemon verbena

Marjoram

Melons (cantaloupe, watermelons)

Mint

Okra

Onions

Oregano

Peppers

Potatoes

Rosemary

Sage

Malabar & New Zealand spinach

Stevia

Sweet potato

Winter squash (like pumpkins and butternut squash)

Tomatoes

You can plant later than is shown above; just not earlier for risk of it being too cold for the seed sprout and the seed may rot before it sprouts.

Indoor seed starting calendar

Saturday, January 11, 2014

I know it seems spring is far, far away in January.  Luckily for us gardeners we get to start spring early!  End of January into February is seed starting time indoors.  I have outlined by month the plant seeds to start indoors between now and April for our Zone 6 garden.

Many big box stores will begin getting in their seeds this month.  There are great varieties that can be ordered on line.   See my blog side bar for the seed companies that I really like to order from.  

Seed packets will tell you how far in advance of your last frost date to start your seeds indoors.  Here is a web page to look up your last frost date:  http://www.moongardencalendar.com/mgc/index.cfm/apps/FrostDates

January and February are cold season crops seed starting time.  March and April is the time for warm season veggie and herbs to get their indoor start.

10-12 weeks prior (end Jan/beginning of Feb in our Zone 6 garden)

Artichokes

Arugula

Bay

Beans (dry & lima)

Blackberries

Blueberries

Broccoli

Cabbage

Catnip

Celery

Chives

Edamame

Endive 

Escarole

Fennel

Fenu

Fruit trees & bushes

Garlic

Horseradish

Leek

Lettuce

Mache

Mint

Mizuna

Onions

Parsley

Peas

Potatoes

Rhubarb

Shallots

Strawberries

Summer savory

Sorrel

Spinach

8-10 weeks prior (mid-February in our Zone 6 garden)

Bee balm

Celeriac

Eggplant

Kale

Kohlrabi

Lavender

Leeks

Lettuce

Lovage

Marjoram

Mustard

Onions

Oregano

Parsley

Peas

Rosemary

Scallions

Spinach

Thyme

Turnips

March

Artichokes

Broccoli

Chamomile

Chard

Cilantro

Comfrey

Fennel

Lemon verbena

Lettuce

Okra

Onions

Peppers

Raddichio

Sage

Spinach

Summer squash

Tarragon

Tomatoes

April

Basil

Beans

Cucumber

Lettuce

Melon

Winter squash

Stevia

You can also start perennial flowers indoors as well.  For any plant, look at the seed packet for when to plant according to your frost date.  Then back up the time from there on when to start indoors.  Typical seed starting is 6-8 weeks prior to the plant out date.

  

Homemade hot sauce wings with homegrown celery

Sunday, January 5, 2014

Garden Corner Recipe: Homemade hot sauce wings & celery

Hot peppers

It is super easy to make your own hot sauce.  I just take the peppers we like, slice them up, and completely cover with organic apple cider vinegar.  We really like garlic so we add 10 cloves to the peppers.  Let sit in the refrigerator for 2-4 weeks.  Put the peppers, garlic and vinegar into the food processor and process until smooth.  You now have your own hot sauce!

Homemade hot sauce

In a pot, combine 1 cup of hot sauce, ¼ cup Worcestershire  sauce, ¼ cup butter, and 2 tablespoons bacon grease.  If you like a thick sauce, you can combine 1 tablespoon of corn starch to ¼ cup of cool water, whisk until smooth, and add to the hot sauce mixture.  Continue to simmer for 5 minutes for the sauce to thicken.

Add the grilled chicken wings to the sauce and let simmer 2 minutes on each side.  They are ready to serve!

Celery on the left is still perky in the green house

Celery is still green in the garden this time of year.  So, I cut celery to serve with the wings.  Our celery has lived for 4 years so it is a plant once and keep on harvesting crop.

You can also bring dig up the celery you had in the garden, replant in a pot and keep in the garage for the winter, harvesting when you need it.  You can either replant back in to the garden or leave in the pot.   I have celery in both a pot and in the ground.  It does great in either.

For the ranch dressing, use the herbs from your garden.  Just mix equal amounts of buttermilk, mayonnaise, and sour cream (half cup each).  Then add parsley, dill, garlic, onion (half teas), salt (quarter teas), and pepper (eighth teas) to taste.  If the mayonnaise is too overpowering, I substitute yogurt. 

January Garden Planner

Saturday, January 4, 2014

January is the time of dreaming and planning for your spring garden.  All the seed companies begin sending out their catalogs for seeds and plants this month.   It is an exciting time for browsing the magazines and making the garden plan for the upcoming year!

4 Season Garden Explained

You hear people talk about a four season garden.  This just means growing a garden that you can harvest from in all four season-spring, summer, fall and winter.

Crops fall into 2 categories-cold season crops and warm season crops.  Cold season crops are those that prefer when temperatures are cool.  When warm temperatures hit (80’s), the cold crops “bolt” which is simply sending up a flower stalk to make seeds.

Warm season crops are those that abhor frost or getting their feet chilly.  Most of the warm season crops are killed by frost and won’t grow until the soil is nice and warm. 

As you can guess, cold season crops are grown in the spring and fall.  The really cold (and freeze) hardy ones are also grown in the winter garden.  Warm season crops are put out after all danger of frost is passed and the soil has warmed.

Cold crops-Arugula, Broccoli, Cabbage, Celery, Fennel, Leek, Lettuce, Marjoram, Onions, Parsley, Peas, Summer savory, Sorrel, Spinach

Napa cabbage

Warm season crops-Basil, Tomatoes, Peppers, Eggplants, Squash, and Beans.

Pimento pepper

So, when you go to plant in the spring, you will start with the cold season crops.  Once the danger of frost has passed, you can then add in your warm season crops.

Grow what you love!

If you have ever wanted to plant an Italian kitchen garden, but weren’t sure if you had the space, you may be surprised.  You can grow the staples of an Italian kitchen garden in as little as 6’ x 6’ space. 

To entice the little ones, an Italian garden is also a "Pizza or Spaghetti Garden"!

It is common for Italians to have a small kitchen garden where they grow herbs, greens and vegetables year round.  It is amazing the amount of food you can grow in a very small space!

If you have only a 6’ x 6’ space, an Italian kitchen garden could include the following:

Herbs (1 each)-thyme, rosemary, sage, oregano, and flat leaf parsley

3 basil plants (for pesto and seasoning)

2 tomatoes-1 Roma type for sauces and 1 slicer type for salads

2 sweet pepper plants

1 zucchini (look for “bush” types as they are more compact)

1 eggplant

8 red onions

8 garlic plants

Arugula, spinach and lettuce scatter sowed

If you also have room for pots on the patio, you could grow the zucchini, eggplant, and cucumber in pots  (only 1 plant in each pot) and add 3 bush or 6 pole bean plants in the garden bed.  Traditional bush beans would be lentils, Romano, Capitano, Cannellini, fava; pole beans-Roma, Helda, Supermarconi.  Personally, I would stick with the beans you eat whole as shelled beans you do not get as much food per plant, and less food per space in the garden.

If you have more room, you can add almonds (yes, they survive Midwest winters), beets, chard, fennel, chickpeas, figs (grows well in a pot), asparagus, cardoon, chicories, radicchio, endives, broccoli, cauliflower, or annual artichokes.

Don't be afraid to interplant your veggies with your flowers.  Flowers not only look great, but they also attract pollinators, increasing your yields, and insects that take care of the dreaded veggie eating insects.  It is a win-win all the way around.

I tuck onions between my day lilies and plant marigolds all around the perimeter of my flower and veggie patch.  Day lilies are edible and marigolds are a great pest deterrent.

Seed catalogs that have a good selection of Italian vegetables and herbs-Johnnie’s Selected Seeds, Renee’s Garden, Seeds of Change, Territorial Seed Company, Cook’s Garden, Seeds from Italy, Italian Seeds & Tool Co., Botanical Interest.

What Is Growing in the January Garden?

In our garden beds, kale, cabbage, sorrel, rosemary, oregano, garlic, onions, lettuce, leeks, chard, dill, celery, spinach are all still green in January.  Under the portable greenhouse, the lettuce, parsley, celery, kale, and spinach are still going strong.

Inside our portable mini greenhouse on the patio

Plants have been in a somewhat dormant state until we start getting 10 hours of daylight.  For our area, this is January 24th when both indoor and outdoor plants will start growing again.  The lettuce, chard, sorrel, cabbage, kale, celery, and herbs that have overwintered will start growing with vigor again after this time with clear days and warmer temperatures.

You can scatter sow seeds now of cold hardy crops and they will be primed for the longer days.  It is surprising to see the little greens popping their heads out in February.  The force of life is amazing.