Jimbo's Winter Garden

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

My Chinese Cabbages are forming heads. They start out looking like spiders then look like stalks of celery.

 

[sunandshadow]

How does a winter garden work? Do you have a greenhouse, or are you in a southern zone where it doesn't freeze hard? I've been contemplating building a greenhouse in my back yard, except it seems like it would be a very complicated and expensive project - my friend told me I'd need to get a building permit and that kind of crap.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

How does a winter garden work? Do you have a greenhouse, or are you in a southern zone where it doesn't freeze hard? I've been contemplating building a greenhouse in my back yard, except it seems like it would be a very complicated and expensive project - my friend told me I'd need to get a building permit and that kind of crap.

I containerize my Winter veggies and take them inside the garage when the temps drop.

A greenhouse doesnt have to be complex or expensive It doesnt have to be large. In fact, you can use cardboard boxes with plastic wrap taped down over the top opening, and cut-out side windows. Set the box over the plant, and remove when the weather is warm enough for bees to pollinate.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

The temp last night was 21 degrees.

I covered my young tomatoes with cardboard boxes and they look great today.

Corrugated cardboard affords resistance to heat transfer, and the soil, being warmer than the air, releases heat into the box at night. So the tender plants stay warm.

During the day I just set the box aside so the plants get Sun.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Another nite in the 20s. The tomatoes look great. The plants not covered by boxes look like crap.