Winter Greens

It is a sad day when the fall temperatures dip below freezing and the days of eating out of the garden are over for another season.  But feasting on fresh greens does not have to be over, even for those who live in cold climates like Minnesota.

Greens for the winter months.

Eating the leaves of plants - which most people refer to as "greens" can not only provide early and late season fresh food, but can also help extend the season well into the winter months.


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Got Weeds?

We have enjoyed beautiful spring and summer seasons here in Minnesota.  The frequent rain falls have ignited plant growth and everywhere you see a brilliant emerald green.  It bodes well for an abundant crop of greens, fruits, vegetables.......and weeds!

Our bountiful vegetable garden.

One of the biggest challenges organic gardeners face is weed control.  Without the use of chemical herbicides, organic gardeners need to equip themselves with information (and hard work) to effectively keep weeds in check so their cultivated crops can grow.  

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Growing Potatoes

Last year I purchased several new potato varieties from the Main Potato Lady and this winter we enjoyed the unique flavors of each variety.  

Four of the seven varieties I planted this spring.

Potatoes options at most grocery stores are Russetts or Reds and very little in between.  But when you grow your own potatoes you have so many varieties to choose from, different colors including red, yellow, blue and purple, different harvest seasons called Early, Mid-Season and Late Season.  Potatoes that are great for mashing, hold their form for soups, and are wonderful for baking. They have names like Green Mountain, Purple Viking, Nicola, Gold Rush and Sangre. 

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Vegetable Gardening with Raised Beds

We started our first vegetable garden about 20 years ago when a coworker handed my husband, Bill a bag of his left over seeds and said, "plant these".

The vegetable garden in late July.

We chose a sunny spot in our yard, Bill borrowed a rototiller from my parents and broke ground.  It was hard work!  I planted the seeds and when the weeds sprouted, tried to keep them under control. With weeds growing in the garden rows and the walkways, I found it impossible to keep up and soon my garden was over run with weeds.

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Greens

This spring consider planting greens for an early crop of delicious and nutritious salad greens.  Greens are the edible leaves of plants and belong in a category all of their own because they are technically not vegetables.

Spring salad greens, cultivated and wild.

I grew up eating salads made with pale iceberg lettuce and covered in Western dressing. It was only when my daughter gave me a leaf of arugula she grew in her community garden plot, that I understood the full flavor greens have to offer.

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Winnowing Shell Beans

Shell beans are a nice addition to the winter pantry, but separating each bean seed from the plant and pod can be very time consuming.  Winnowing your shell beans will make cleaning your beans a breeze. 

The finished product.

Working a full time job while juggling homesteading chores means some projects are on the "to do" list for months.  This year it was the middle of January before I found time to winnow the beans.

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Shell Beans

This winter as you are perusing the seed catalogs take a moment to consider growing shell beans.  Green or snap beans are picked when the pods are young and tender, while shell beans are allowed to grow to maturity and the dried seed is used.  Green or snap beans are considered a vegetable and shell beans are in the legume category.

Three quarts of dried shell beans.

Shell beans are a great addition to the vegetable garden as they are easy to grow and a good source of protein.  Beans can be planted in the spring and harvested at your convenience in the fall.  

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Long Season Beets

I was reading Root Cellaring, by Mike and Nancy Bubel and found a reference to Long Season Beets. They were described as very large, yet tender, beets that winter well in a root cellar.  Generally when root crops get overly large the inside is woody and inedible.  The long season beet variety is an exception as it is designed to grow very large while staying tender thorough out.

Even the leaves of these beets are over sized.

The seeds were not common, but after an internet search I found them at Harris Seed Company.

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Growing Garlic

I don't know why it took me over 10 years to start growing garlic.  For some reason I thought it was too complicated, but I was wrong.  After you have figured out the basic process the rest is easy.

The "hard neck" is shown with the cloves removed.

There are two basic categories of garlic; hard neck and soft neck.  Hard neck garlic grows is cold climates and soft neck garlic grows best in temperate climates.  

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Parnips - The First Spring Vegetable

Just one week ago we had 12 inches of snow in a most unwelcome April snowstorm.  I have decided that gardening is best enjoyed by those who can delay gratification.  These parsnips were planted last spring with the full knowledge that it would be 11 months before they would be harvested and enjoyed.  In most likelihood the root vegetable that spends the most time underground!

The snow has just melted, our world is in shades of brown, but it you look closely you will see just a hint of green.

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Cold Frames

The 2013-2014 winter has been a long, cold, and snowy here in Minnesota and this week for the first time the snow melted enough to expose the tops of my cold frames.

Cold frames are basically bottomless wooden boxes that are slightly angled to catch the sun and have removable glass tops .  

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March is Seed Starting Time

If you live in gardening zone 4, now is the time to plant your pepper, tomato, cabbage, brussel sprout, broccoli, and cauliflower seeds.  These crops need a longer growing season that zone 4 can provide so planting seeds directly into the ground at the end of May will not provide a long enough growing season.

Lemon Balm, Quinoa, and Pepper plants

While it is fine to purchase your bedding plants at a nursery, there are a few advantages to starting your own plants from seed.  

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