As I was perusing the "September Clean-up" thread I began to wonder if anyone here ever tried four season gardening? I'm new to gardening, but I've absolutely devoured Eliot Coleman's book "Four Season Harvest." In his book he talks about how he is able to harvest from his garden basically year round even though he lives in Maine. I won't be able to apply any of his winter harvesting this winter, but this fall I'll be using all his soil amendment recommendations for an epanded garden bed and I hope to start some cold-weather crops for winter harvest in some cold frames next fall.
Four Season Gardening
You made me curious but I know nothing about it.
Dave--if you are at all interested you can probably pick up "Four Season Harvest" at your local library--I took out a copy at my local library, renewed it twice and eventually picked up my own copy. In the book Mr. Coleman reviews basic organic gardening practice and then procedes to discuss how it is that he is able to harvest quite a large variety of cold-tolerant crops in the middle of winter using very minimal protection for those crops. Most of the protection methods he uses are row covers, cold frames and tunnels and/or greenhouses, none of which are heated in any way. The book is fascinating and I highly recommend it, and to be honest with you I'm surprised there isn't more discussion of his methods here at this site.
Eliot Coleman and his wife (gardening author Barbara Damrosch) do have a website if you're interested and you can learn a little bit about their gardening philosophy at http://www.fourseasonfarm.com/index.html
If it's at all possible to be a "gardening groupie" I am SO one of theirs!
Thank you Niere! I will check it out. Last year I did my firt wintersowing so I've developed a taste for not taking 4 or 5 months off each year.
I just ordered the book (I just don't have time to get to the library!). My wonderful neighbor built me a cold frame out of some scavenged windows that I intend to use this winter. I haven't ever tried anything like this (in New England) before. I'm very excited at the prospect of having fresh greens in the winter. When the tomatoes in my front garden near the house dies off - I will install the cold frame and hopefully by then I will have read the Coleman book. Thank you for piquing my interest.
Dave--I did look at the wintersowing thread and I understood that it was mostly in reference to starting seedlings early in anticipation of spring planting--was that correct? I need to check out that thread again soon because I'm a Virgo and I like to have things planned out six months ahead of time. :p ;) :D
Yankee Cat--oooo, I'm so excited for you! Pleeease keep us up to date with how it all is going! I'm chomping at the bit to start, but it's just not going to happen this winter. My plan for next winter is to start small, maybe with just some chard, spinach and mache and see how that goes.
I'm so happy that you've ordered a copy of the book--I love reading Eliot Coleman's books because his enthusiasm for gardening just jumps off the pages at you. Hubby and I are also seriously considering walling off a section of our basement for use as a root cellar--the overall plan for that is in the book. I'm currently getting my garden bed ready for next spring using Mr. Coleman's techniques--I've ordered the greensand and the rock phosphate and I'll be adding some cow manure, lime, and compost as well. I'll then be planting a green manure over the top of it and then turn that under very early next spring. I just can't wait to see how the plants do, and then how the winter harvest plants will do on top of that. :D
Again--let us know how it all goes--and maybe in a year or two we can get a Winter Harvesting forum started. :D
Niere, Wintersowing is planting seeds outside any time from the winter solstice to before normal spring planting. You plant in plastic containers (I used 2 liter soda bottles and left the cap off for air & rain) Your seedings should arrive earlier with better root systems and are already hardened-off. It is not for winter crops per se.
But I am a novice who had mixed results. Check that forum for some real pros.
Dave
Bet you get cleaner disease free spinach that way!
martha
Hey! I thought Franky Valle wrote the book on the Four Seasons!
(I know, I know...but someone had to say it)
(Sorry, visiting from the south here!)
I LOVE Eliot Coleman's books. He also talks about how you can grow a garden with a sustainable profit in SMALL places as well with lots of tips on how to grow horizontally, etc.
I have to check into your forum here because we've been disappointed with our garden here in our area. We didn't fair so well with ANY summer crops (just Spring) because we're in drought this year and only get 32" of rain in our area to boot. There are better places in Texas (60" rain for example) but thinking of a move northward for better growing options and your thread just confirms how nicely that might work. =)
Thank-you!
The only 4 Seasons gardening I've been working on is hunting up some hardy winter flowering plants. So far, the best I've come up with are certain crocuses that bloom consistantly in Febuary, and various hellebores (Lenten Rose, Christmas Rose and their varoious varieties). The Hellebores have the added bonus of being evergreen and flowering in the dead of winter (hence the Christmas rose's name... it starts in November and goes through to Febuary). I haven't been able to find anything else that flowers in the winter and is hardy thus far, though.
Oh I love the Lenten Rose...amazing that it can still flower in your winters!
My hellebores wait until spring to flower. Maybe I should read them your posts. I have saffron crocus that wait to bloom until very early November then the strappy leaves stay around until spring. I put in a tea camellia this year and I think it is going to bloom soon. Silly plant - doesn't it know that it is winter? I will burlap it for winter as it is iffy in this growing zone.
Back to four seasons gardening -- I'm in the process of researching and buying seeds for my cold frame. My neighbor built it for me and this will be the first time I have tried it out. I plan to put in salad greens and leeks and my favorite of all times - swiss chard. I will post if anything grows.
I've been thinking of doing the same Yankee - I had posted a sowing question in the veggie forum. I was thinking of growing some salad greens.
A Yankee Cat, The Lenten rose usually doesn't flower until lste Febuary, at least according to Dr. Francko's book (Palms Won't Grow Here and Other Myths), but he has had the Christmas rose flower from Nov to Febuary in his place in Oxford, OH (Zone 6a). If I could find some I'd plant them, but so far, all I have is the lenten rose, and some crocuses that flower around groundhog day every year and some old-fashoined daffodils that start coming up around Valentine's day.....
Hikaro,
I love Erica x Darleyensis (winter/spring heath) zone 5 or colder with protection. My favorite variety is 'Kramer's Rote' which blooms Jan-April is called red but is really a dark pink. It grows 14x24 and it's dark green needles turn a deep blue/purple in the winter. It also tolerates decidous part shade. kt
Yeah, there are some people who grow that Heather here.... in the mountains. Where I live in the valley, is limestone with clay over it. Heath needs well drained, acid soil (which, due to the sandstone on the mountains is why it does well there), and it would instantly croak where I live... I know from past experience that any plant that needs acid soild won't do well... I've killed red skunk cabbage, false hellebore and other plants of a similar nature by making that mistake.... Plants that do well in "Neutral to Acidic" soil I've done pretty good with, especially if I could keep plenty of their native soil around the roots (Ilex opaca, Liriodendron tulipifera, Asimina triloba, etc).
So as much as I'd love to have some nice, evergreen, winter-flowering heather in my yard, I'm afraid it's impossible. :-(
I see this thread started over 2 years ago... I wondered if anyone had tried the Coleman method and how it worked out? I'm going to try it this year.
I wonder if there has ever been a problem with mice in cold frames or row covers?
I have his book, but have not attempted his method yet.
Having a nursery, I can tell you mice do a ton of damage in cold frames, and under row covers.