10 hours of daylight is here!

Late January edible garden

Saturday, January 27, 2024

If you have noticed that plants stop growing in the winter, whether indoors or out, you would be right.  It is not just the temperatures that affect this slow down.  It is the amount of sunlight.

Basically, plants go dormant when receiving less than 10 hours of daylight during our cold winter temperatures.  For my latitude, this is from November 24-January 21.  You can look on this site to see when your daylight hits 10 hours.  daylight calendar

When planting in the fall for winter crops, you need to plan that they are at full, harvestable size by November 24th this past fall.  They remain this size until the end of January, when they begin growing again.  edible winter garden

Growth starts back up at the end of January, for indoor and outdoor plants.  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.  Start your edible spring garden now

You can scatter sow seeds now of cold hardy crops and they will be primed for the longer days.  It is surprising, but not unusual, to see the little greens popping their heads out in February.  

End of January is also when you can start indoor seeds for a jump on spring and summer harvests.  Indoor seed starting calendar

The force of life is amazing!