How to Grow a Winter Vegetable Garden

How to Grow a Winter Vegetable Garden

A vegetable garden can be started even if you live in a very cold region. A few simple tools will help you get started!


The Best Winter Vegetables
All winter veggies can be sown before the last frost of the season. Begin your garden by sowing seeds indoors. The following are vegetables that grow best in cold weather.



► 90 Days to Maturity Plants


Cabbage

Planting: Plant young starter plants 10" apart with leaves partially buried in surface soil.
Growing: Moderate watering. Fertilize 1 time per month.




Carrots

Planting: Mulch a 12" hole then plant young starters in the soil about 3" apart.

Growing: Moderate watering. Do not allow soil to dry out. Harvest when carrots are deep orange.


Globe Onion

Planting: Mulch an 8" hole with compost then plant young starters about 5" apart.

Growing: Easy to grow & produces beautiful flowers. Moderate watering.

See more 90-day Winter Plants at http://www.pondplantgirl.com/veggie.htm

☼ 60-Day Veggies ☼ 30-Day Veggies

Lighting
Also see: ☼ Winter Water Gardening LIGHT BOX

All vegetable plants grow best in Full Sun. The minimum amount of sunlight your garden will need is 6 hours per day. When starting the plants indoors, it is heat and water that will get the seeds started instead of light. After they have sprouted, however, the seedlings will need a sunny window to grow. Light may also be increased with the use of mirrors reflecting the sun's rays and a simple LED grow light too.


Mulching
The process of "mulching a hole" involves mixing the ground soil or potting mix with cured garden manure or compost. The compost should consist of decomposing leaves and grass clippings. Mulching the topsoil involves spreading out fall leaves, grass clippings, or straw to keep the plants warm and to keep the moisture in the ground.

Heating
Germinate your seeds faster with a heated grow mat from Burpee Seeds online or any hydroponics store. The one in the image shows a growing tray with a dome lid; which is the most effective way of propagating seeds. You will definitely notice the difference with a setup such as this. The mat is water proof, safe to use, and cost effective too.

Outdoors, add a string large Christmas tree lights on top of the soil to keep your young plants from freezing. Inside a greenhouse or cold frame, Christmas lights will increase the air temperature by 20 degrees.

Greenhouses and Cold Frames

Also see: Affordable Greenhouses and Cold Frames
and Build a Greenhouse for Under $25

Cover plants with a cold frame or small pvc greenhouse. A greenhouse not only protects young plants from frost, but also increases the humidity needed for growth. The use of a greenhouse with C-9 Christmas tree lights will increase air temperature up to 20 degrees. Grow a vegetable garden in the middle of winter even when the weather gets down to freezing.


ALSO SEE: ☼ HOW TO GROW house plants and ☼ HOW TO GROW Wheatgrass

Questions?

Contact The Pond Plant Girl at: gail@pondplantgirl.com

HAPPY GARDENING!!!